Chile’s 5G build-out is moving beyond faster mobile connections. The country now wants to turn advanced networks into infrastructure for mines, ports, robots, factories and other industries — while creating a testing ground for technologies that will eventually underpin 6G.
The Undersecretariat of Telecommunications (Subtel) and technology centre OnLab have signed a two-year collaboration agreement designed to move 5G and 5.5G technologies into real-world industrial environments and prepare the ground for 6G.
Corfo is also involved in the initiative, which was unveiled at the Digital Country Summit 2026.
The agreement matters because Chile is attempting to convert years of investment in fibre, mobile and satellite connectivity into something more economically significant: a platform for industrial technology.
Rather than waiting for 6G standards and commercial networks to arrive, the programme will use existing 5G and emerging 5.5G infrastructure to test artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics and advanced connectivity against practical problems.
Mining, security, healthcare, logistics, mobility, smart cities, forestry and agriculture are among the targeted sectors.
For Subtel, the programme feeds into a broader ambition to establish Chile as a digital hub for Latin America while attracting investment in data centres, AI and other digital infrastructure.
Undersecretary of Telecommunications Romina Garrido said the next challenge was translating connectivity into productivity.
“We want to consolidate Chile as the digital hub of Latin America and boost the digital economy. Today, we are taking the leap from home connectivity to the country’s industrial transformation. We aim to translate our infrastructure into greater productivity for sectors such as mining, security, logistics, healthcare, ports, and agriculture. Together with OnLab and Corfo, we will test cutting-edge solutions with 5G and 5.5G networks, and we hope very soon with the future 6G, in real-world environments. This will allow us to generate technical evidence and make the best public policy decisions to drive growth and improve people’s quality of life.”
That emphasis on testing is significant. Advanced network technologies can look convincing in demonstrations but industrial deployments face harsher requirements around latency, resilience, cybersecurity and reliability.
OnLab CEO Rolando Martínez said the agreement was intended to close that gap.
“This agreement allows us to put technology at the service of industry. At OnLab, we exist for that purpose: to ensure that 5G and robotics become proven solutions in the field. Working alongside the Undersecretariat, with the support of Corfo, allows us to bring these pilot projects to key sectors for the country and generate the evidence that the industry needs.”
The programme will provide controlled testing environments for 5G, 5.5G and future 6G technologies, alongside AI, cybersecurity and applied robotics.
It will also combine OnLab’s engineering capabilities with Subtel’s regulatory perspective, covering spectrum efficiency, industrial cybersecurity and resilience of critical infrastructure.
The real prize is not simply faster connectivity. Chile is betting that the networks already running beneath its digital economy can become the nervous system for its next generation of industry.
