Chile Digital 2035 Strategy

The Chile Digital 2035 Strategy is a long-term plan developed under the direction of the Senate’s Commission on Transport and Telecommunications, with support from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Chile Telcos, the Chilean Chamber of Digital Infrastructure, and other stakeholders. It aims to provide a coherent roadmap for Chile’s digital transformation across the economy, society, and government, while ensuring that policies go beyond short political cycles and are anchored in broad public–private consensus.

Context

Chile has achieved strong regional performance in broadband connectivity, affordability, and access, with some indicators surpassing European averages. Despite this, internal disparities remain, especially across income groups, regions, gender, and age, as well as lagging adoption of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and big data analytics in the productive sector. The strategy responds to these gaps by establishing a shared vision for inclusive, long-term digital development, integrating state, private sector, and civil society perspectives.

Conceptual framework

The document presents a three-tiered model of digital transformation:

• connected economy: based on infrastructure deployment and mass internet use,
• digital economy: activities built around digital goods and services, platforms, and collaborative models,
• digitalised economy: the integration of advanced technologies (AI, IoT, robotics, big data) into traditional industries and public services.

This framework recognises that progress in one area accelerates growth in the others, creating a systemic transformation of society, production, and the state.

Pillars

The strategy is structured around two central pillars:

1. Chile connected without gaps – ensuring universal, equitable access to connectivity and digital skills.
   • Components: enabling digital infrastructure and development of digital skills.
2. Digitalised Chile – promoting the widespread adoption of digital technologies in economic and social activities.
   • Components: digitalisation of the economy and of the state.

A transversal digital rights component underpins both pillars, emphasising equity, privacy protection, and trust in digital environments. Together, the five components are:

• Enabling digital infrastructure,
• Development of digital skills,
• Digital rights,
• Digitalisation of the economy,
• Digitalisation of the statetelco_estrategia_chiledigital[1].

Objectives

Each component is linked to specific objectives. Examples include expanding access to ICTs, improving conditions for quality connectivity, increasing STEM professionals, accelerating the adoption of advanced technologies in production, fostering entrepreneurship and digital innovation, strengthening cybersecurity, and promoting transparent, participatory e-government. The strategy highlights the importance of an updated regulatory framework addressing issues such as data protection, competition, consumer rights, and cybersecurity.

Implementation process

The elaboration of Chile Digital 2035 followed a participatory methodology. A working group of about 30 representatives from government, private sector, academia, and civil society met in structured sessions to define components, objectives, and measurable targets. The process was coordinated by the Senate Commission with ECLAC and industry associations, and supported by the Consensus Building Institute to ensure consensus-oriented dialogue. Additional seminars and thematic groups complemented the discussions