At the mobile operators map the region show that at the beginning of 2016 is renewed, with players from the content area -such as Liberty Global and Cablevisión Argentina- joining to fight in this market, the expectation of the formula mobility plus content AT&T can bring after the purchase of Directv, and other players awaiting for their fate in a global context marked by consolidation -particularly the possible merger between Oi and Tim in Brazil-.
The U. S. company AT&T gradually unified Nextel and Iusacell operations in Mexico under its own brand and it remains to be seen this year the impact of the landing thereof on Directv for wireless spectrum operations (Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil). In the Caribbean, Cable & Wireless + Columbus merger is going slowly, with some markets having adopted the brand Flow and trying to redress the balance of this sub-region as compared to Digicel.
The expectation for C&W is set on the completion of Liberty Global offer, which aims to buy it for US$8 billion (including debt) in the second quarter of 2016. Liberty Global, whose core is on pay TV and entertainment could thus expand its foray into the Caribbean and Panama (currently Liberty Global tread is restricted to VTR Chile and Liberty Puerto Rico) and emerge as a leader in the distribution of contents in multiple devices at the Caribbean.
Likewise, from the video field, Cablevisión joins the Argentine mobile segment; Cablevisión belongs to the multimedia Grupo Clarín, which acquired half of Nextel in the country. Even when this operator has only 3% of the mobile users, the holding, through his politics influence, is creating a propitious environment to develop his business, accompanied by the modifications at the sector, that by decree is driving the government of Mauricio Macri. In the upcoming months also the fate of the spectrum allocated to Arsat at 700 MHz, AWS and part of the remainder for 3G shall be settled-.
Another fledgling issue is the future of the Brazilian market, which after living the integration of GVT in Telefónica, waits for Telecom Italia decision on its subsidiary Tim, and for the opportunities for it to merge with Oi. The local political and economic crisis and financial difficulties themselves in Oi and in Telecom Italia only strengthen integration rumors.
Two trends accompany this moment of the mobile sector: the different conception of the infrastructure to provide services -with sale of towers to companies focused on rental thereof (e.g. the sale of more than 5,000 towers by Tim Brazil to American Tower)-, and sharing -which in some cases besides networks include spectrum as it happens in Brazil with Oi, Tim and Vivo for 2.5 GHz frequency-.
Players’ re-adaptations were more overblown than usual claims for larger spectrum, silenced by various postponed tenders which were finally held. The thing now is that the 700 MHz spectrum allocated, be translated into new services, an issue that is pending in Brazil, Chile and Argentina due to obstacles to complete the cleanup of the band. Peru, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Mexico promise to make progress on the Digital Dividend in 2016.
Among the dormant processes in Latin America, Paraguay finally held the 60 MHz tender in 1700-2100 MHz, with Claro and Tigo as awardees (Núcleo of Telecom Argentina did not show), and Mexico will define what to do on said band in the first quarter of 2016. Spectrum surplus tender of held by in mid-December 2015 allowed the regulator Anatel to debut in an allocation model that allowed it to raise over US$200 million and ensure coverage to more than 2,900 municipalities in the country.
The Mexican government, meanwhile, has already reported its political decision to tender 600 MHz for mobile services, which was supported by Colombia, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and Belize.
When talking about new bands, the mobile industry got a resounding victory in the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) held in November 2015, where it was possible to identify other 400 MHz for mobile services. The lower part of the C band, i.e., 200 MHz between 3,400 and 3,600 MHz was identified for IMT in Region 1 (Europe, Africa, Middle East and Central Asia) and 2 (Americas), after a strong struggle with the satellite sector. And the same happened with the L-band (1427-1518 MHz), whose identification was made almost at the global level.