Convergencia Research, Consultoría especializada en Latinoamérica y Caribe
Monday, October 13, 2014

Mobile Services Map 2014

LTE gained ground through AWS: expectations now look at 700 MHz schedule

Mobile Services Map 2014
Mobile Services Map 2014

Latin America starts 2014 with 33 commercial LTE operations, after an intense year in terms of releases and discussions on spectrum allocations. LTE cases illustrated in the Mobile Services Map 2014 work on multiple bands: 1,700-2,100 MHz band gradually gained ground, above 2,500 MHz. 

For 2014 the expectation is set in the bidding process for 700 MHz -mainly due to availability of equipment and generating economies of scale- and operators who still must comply with the launch of services on spectrum already obtained. 

The future of the delivery of 700 MHz in Chile (in the first quarter) and Brazil (planned for the first half, though it has no set date) will set a precedent for regional discussions on this key band for propagation and coverage indoors. In new allocation processes, regulators aim at improving quality of service (QoS), strengthen users and guarantee competence. Therefore, tenders not only include coverage obligations, but also National Roaming, facilities for mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), spectrum caps revision and QoS goals. 

Special mention deserves the case of Mexico, where regulation of telecommunications reform -promoted by President Enrique Peña Nieto, was one of the great events of the sector in 2013- will define the status of 700 MHz and conditions that may eventually be imposed for Telcel as dominant operator in mobile telephony. 

Entel Chile, Claro in Colombia, Tigo in Bolivia, Claro and Movistar in Costa Rica, among others remain tlaunch LTE services. And we must pay special attention to incoming operators such as DirecTV in Colombia and tandem Americatel-Nextel in Peru. The greater uncertainty corresponds to Argentina, where state company Arsat has not yet started operations and private actors await on new spectrum allocations from the regulator. 

The Mobile Services Map 2014 shows NFC, Joyn and financial services implementations, while M2M -though still nascent-, opens new scenarios of verticals such as health, Consumer Electronics and the automotive industry.

 

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