So while I was trying to breathe life into this post about how the ICT sector has real potential to change the way we change the world, the Colombian Government goes and announces something awesomely ambitious.
In 2018, the Colombian Government will launch the Carpeta ciudadana application: in it’s primary phase, every Colombian will have a space on the cloud to store their medical records, certificates, public documents, and academic transcripts.
Photo credit: http://mintic.gov.co
By providing each citizen with an email account, space on the Cloud, digital identification, access to public services online, and a readily accessible medical history, Colombians will be seamlessly connected to the national Government and public services.
Once the kinks get worked out, this app will greatly improve the quality of life of everyone in the country—or at least those with Internet access and the knowledge to use it. (Remember my post about having to mail 24 pages to the capital each pay period before I could get paid? The cloud would solve that problem).
What exactly is the cloud? The cloud is a space for data storage/access over the Internet instead of your computer’s hard drive. (Think Dropbox). With the cloud you can access your information using any device with an internet connection. For the Colombian people some of the major benefits of transitioning to the cloud include:
- Less harm to the environment, as we eliminate the need for papers and copies.
- More efficient and faster public services, as info is both more readily available and more complete.
- Streamlined payroll systems, which would lead to a consistent pay schedule, immediately improving quality of life.
- A diverse number of ways to access your information, so, if the power is out or the Wi-Fi is down, you can still access your info from your cell phone or tablet.
Before we get into my concerns and those of the Colombian people, let’s just take this in for a moment: all public and private documents for all Colombian citizens will now be stored on the Cloud. If this can be executed safely, securely, and consistently imagine how monumental this will be for the Colombian people and the Colombian Government. Colombia will blaze the way for Governments all over the world and the lives of it’s people will be forever transformed.
Now to the concerns. In total there are approximately 46,000,000 people in Colombia. FORTY-SIX million (Source: CIA World Factbook). According to Colombia’s ICT website, approximately 9,000,000 have access to the Internet. That’s about 19% of the population. What I’m concerned about is the other 81% of Colombian citizens, who may become even more marginalized as the rest of the country moves on to digital storage. Due to the potential risks, I also think that citizens should be given the choice to opt-in or opt-out of the program. In terms of infrastructure, for those with internet service, how reliable is it outside of the major hubs like Medellin, Bogota, Cali, Barranquilla, and Cartagena?
Some Concerns of the Colombian People per the Government’s website:
- Many think the idea is buenisimo (really great).
- Some suggested a pilot phase where the Government works with people from different parts of life with varying levels of internet access.
- Many worry that corruption in the government will put their most private info in the hands of dangerous individuals.
- Many worry about security/privacy.
- Many question how this application will affect people in the campo where the internet service is virtually non-existent.
While this app has the potential to literally transform the lives of Colombian citizens, is four years enough to make the changes necessary for this initiative to benefit the other 81% of the population? Do you think Colombia’s plan to connect every citizen’s personal data to the cloud is a good idea? Will it further marginalize the poorest of the poor?
Let us know in the comments.
Visit the Colombian Government’s ICT site here to learn about other life-changing initiatives. (SPANISH).