Procuring Connectivity for Public Schools: Pathways and Lessons Learned in Latin America and the Caribbean

Connectivity is essential to ensuring the right to education. It broadens educational opportunities, reduces geographic disparities, and enables all students to access relevant, digitally integrated learning experiences. This report is part of a series of publications related to Artificial Intelligence and Education: Building the Future Through Digital Transformation. It follows Connectivity Planning: Seven Steps to Ensure Adequate Wi-Fi Connection for Public Schools, shifting the focus from planning to procurement.

Part 1 sets out four steps in the procurement process: deciding who will procure the service (through a decentralized or centralized model); choosing how to contract with providers (through integrated or fragmented contracts, and by purchasing or leasing equipment under a Hardware as a Service model); identifying funding sources (education funds, telecommunications funds, obligations arising from spectrum auctions, multilateral financing mechanisms, and public-private partnerships); and drafting a robust contract that provides predictability, flexibility, and sustainability. Each option is presented with its advantages and considerations, alongside a decision tree and a flowchart that account for the available budget and existing assets. The report generally recommends centralized, integrated procurement whenever possible.

Part 2 examines seven cases from Latin America and the CaribbeanBrazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Suriname, and Uruguayto identify common patterns in quality, predictability, and costs. The cases highlight recurring challenges: governance and institutional coordination; geographic disparities; the gap between access and educational use; the limitations of complex technical standards; weak contract monitoring; and disruptions associated with changes in administration.