The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Chile, María José Torres, visited the La Araucanía region from 30 March to 1 April to assess progress on the Connected Communities programme supported by the Joint SDG Fund. It is an initiative aimed at reducing the digital divide in rural areas and improving access to health, education, and economic opportunities.
In this interview, she reflects on the impact so far and the challenges ahead.
What is the main objective of your visit to La Araucanía in the context of the Connected Communities project?
This visit is an opportunity to deepen the territorial work that the United Nations system is advancing in La Araucanía and to follow up on the progress of the Connected Communities project. We are meeting with regional authorities, including newly appointed ones, as well as local actors and communities. Listening directly to people on the ground is essential for us.
It also allows us to see concrete examples of impact. We want to understand how the digital infrastructure and equipment being deployed are already improving access to healthcare, education, and productive tools in rural areas.
Why is it particularly important to promote digital connectivity initiatives in a region like La Araucanía?
La Araucanía has geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic characteristics that make connectivity especially urgent. It is a region with dispersed populations, a strong presence of Indigenous communities, and persistent social inequalities.
Data clearly shows the scale of the challenge. According to national surveys, multidimensional poverty remains high in rural areas, and La Araucanía is among the regions with the highest poverty levels in the country. Closing the digital divide is therefore key to improving quality of life and expanding opportunities.
What have communities shared with you about their most urgent needs?
Communities consistently express resilience and a strong willingness to improve their living conditions. There is a real interest in learning, adopting new tools, and building better futures.
Their needs are very concrete. First, access to healthcare and social services without having to travel long distances. Telehealth and telemedicine are already making a significant difference here. Second, tools to strengthen agricultural production, with digital solutions helping farmers better monitor their land and respond to challenges. Third, greater economic autonomy—especially for rural women—through digital skills that support entrepreneurship and access to new markets.
You mentioned that the digital divide goes beyond access to the internet. What are the main challenges today?
Connectivity is only one part of the issue. In La Araucanía, we also see gaps in infrastructure in remote areas, unstable connection quality, and affordability challenges—particularly for vulnerable households.
There is also a significant gap in digital skills, especially among women, older persons, youth, and Indigenous communities. In rural areas of La Aracanía and Ñuble, less than 40% of households have reliable connectivity, and only a small percentage have fixed internet access. This highlights the depth of the challenge and its implications for access to services and opportunities.
How does lack of connectivity relate to other inequalities in rural communities?
Connectivity has a multiplier effect. When it is absent, it deepens existing inequalities. In healthcare, families may need to travel long distances just to access basic services. With telemedicine, responses can be faster and more accessible.
In agriculture, digital tools such as sensors and satellite monitoring help farmers make better decisions and reduce losses. This improves both productivity and resilience.
In education, limited access to digital resources restricts learning opportunities and future prospects for rural students. That is why training and digital literacy are essential components of the project.
In a region with a strong Indigenous presence, what role can connectivity play when implemented with cultural relevance?
Connectivity can play a transformative role when it respects local contexts and cultures. It allows communities to access essential services without losing their identity or traditional practices.
For example, digital tools in healthcare—such as telemedicine equipment—are helping deliver more timely and culturally appropriate services. At the same time, connectivity creates opportunities to strengthen local and traditional livelihoods and to increase participation in public programmes and decision-making processes.
What concrete changes are already visible in the communities?
We are already seeing results. More than 150 women have been trained in digital tools linked to social protection, strengthening their autonomy. Telehealth systems have been introduced in over 20 rural health centres, with more in progress. Telemedicine kits are also expanding diagnostic and care capacity in remote areas.
In the productive sector, digital tools are being tested with small-scale farmers, including sensors and monitoring systems that support new forms of technical assistance and cooperation.
How are you ensuring that these initiatives are sustainable over time?
Sustainability is a key priority. We are not focusing on short-term solutions, but on scalable models that can continue beyond the project.
This includes strong coordination with regional governments, municipalities, and public institutions to ensure continuity. Partnerships with the private sector and academia are also essential, both for innovation and for building local capacities.
Training is particularly important, as it enables communities to take ownership of these tools and use them to support their long-term development.
What message would you like to share with the communities participating in or benefiting from Connected Communities?
This project is built with and from the territories, guided by the voices of the communities themselves. Every connection point, every training session, and every improvement in services shows that digital transformation can translate into real wellbeing when it is done in partnership.
Connected Communities is not just about providing internet access. It is about expanding rights, creating opportunities, and building a more inclusive and equitable future for women, youth, Indigenous communities, and rural families.
Originally published by Sur Informado.
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds, and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
