MWC GSMA 2026 - 2, 5 March
Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Investments to deploy 4G to amount to US$5.3 billion

As from the 700 MHz band tender, awarded in May, Claro, which has 33.4% market share (12.2 million users until June), will allocate US$1 billion to extend its networks infrastructure and boost it until 2018. Part of this investment was obtaining spectrum to which OLO purchase was added. Entel will invest US$1.100 billion over the next three years to enhance its coverage. It has already allocated US$300 million of that amount to get its share of the 700 MHz spectrum. Entel is the operator with more proportional 4G users. 83% of its customers have this type of connection. To achieve this, they invested US$150 per customer.

Movistar, the market leader with 47.9% share, succeeded in getting 2,389 of its antennas to be implemented for 4G traffic to date, and it foresees that they will be 2,742 by December. Its investment plan for its infrastructure and digital transformation expansion project amounts to the sum of US$3.00 million. Meanwhile, Bitel (6.8% of marke share), did not win part of the 700 MHz spectrum, but it is investing US$ 00 million to implement 1,000 new antennas for its 4G connection basically focused on meeting demand in provinces and rural areas, with a deployment of 20 thousand kilometers of own fiber optic and other 13,500 kilometers of Azteca backbone network, with whom it has signed an alliance.

Last news and analysis

Costa Rica · Politics

29/01/2026

Presidential elections in Costa Rica: Three leading candidates with three different digital agendas

The elections will be held next Sunday, February 1st. Laura Fernández Delgado, of the Sovereign People's Party, leads the polls by a wide margin, to the point that she could win the presidency without a runoff.

Costa Rica · Politics

29/01/2026

Presidential elections in Costa Rica: Three leading candidates with three different digital agendas

The elections will be held next Sunday, February 1st. Laura Fernández Delgado, of the Sovereign People's Party, leads the polls by a wide margin, to the point that she could win the presidency without a runoff.

Globales · Operators

28/01/2026

Warning to telcos: Job cuts may leave them vulnerable and unable to innovate

According to an MTN report, operators are continually adjusting their workforce under the pretext of improving dividends, while also taking advantage of the growing presence of AI. However, one possible consequence is excessive staff turnover and the loss of know-how, particularly in cybersecurity.

América Latina · Equipment Providers and Network Solutions

27/01/2026

Interview with Roberto Murakami

NEC bets on growth in the enterprise market in the region

Roberto Murakami is NEC’s VP of Networks and Telecommunications for Latin America. In an interview with ConvergenciaLatina, he said the company aims this year to replicate the growth achieved in Brazil, where it has focused for the past two years on integration in response to declining investment by telecom operators.

Search news