Through Decree 318/2024, published today in the Official Gazette, the new organizational structure of the Chief of Cabinet was formalized, under which the Secretariat of Innovation, Science, and Technology operates. From this latter department, five agencies emerge: the Subsecretariat of IT, Innovation, Science and Technology, Communications and Connectivity, and the National Office of Contracts.
According to Article 6 of the decree, the Secretariat led by Alejandro Cosentino must "deal with the development and implementation of telecommunications policy and intervene in the development of tariff structures for communications." It is also assigned the responsibility to develop policies, draft laws, and treaties within its competence, as well as to "supervise the control agencies of service providers in communications and the regulations of licenses, authorizations, permits, or communication service records, or other enabling titles granted by the National State or provinces under federal regimes in the matter".
Article 7 attributes the administration of the State's shares in Arsat and Correo to the Secretariat. It also mandates the Secretariat to "represent the State before international organizations related to satellite, communication, and postal services, in coordination with the competent areas of the National Public Administration".
Lastly, Article 27 establishes that "the commitments and obligations assumed by the former Secretariat of Communications and Connectivity of the former Ministry of Infrastructure will be the responsibility of the Secretariat of Innovation, Science, and Technology, considering the transfer of budgetary credits, organizational units, assets, personnel with their positions and current allocations as of the date, until the corresponding structures are approved".
Objectives. The decree signed by Javier Milei and the Chief of Cabinet, Nicolás Posse, also includes an annex detailing twelve objectives attributed to the Subsecretariat of Communications and Connectivity. Among them are designing and proposing to the Secretariat the update of regulatory frameworks for telecommunications, postal, and other normative updates; participating in the tutelary control of Enacom; and making recommendations to the Secretariat for a "better exercise of the corporate rights" of the State's shareholdings or capital in Arsat and Correo.
The fourth objective mentioned refers to "recommending alternatives for the proper use of Arsat's Network infrastructure and satellite development". While the sixth focuses on "promoting the update and international coordination of the National Table of Frequency Band Attribution, aiming at the universalization of the internet and mobile services".
The tenth objective detailed in the annex tasks the department with collaborating in the interpretation of Laws No. 19,798 (National Telecommunications Law), 20,216 (Postal Law), 26,522 (Audiovisual Communication Services) and 27,078 (Digital Argentina).
The last two objectives mention the development of proposals for the issuance of the Fundamental Technical Plans for Numbering, Signaling and Number Portability; and the proposal of plans and programs for the application of the universal service fiduciary fund.