Movistar has invested $15 million in a latest generation fiber optic network which will interconnect overland with Central Mexico.
Movistar, the mobile phone brand of Telefónica, has invested $15 million in a fiber optic network that will cover 3,158 kilometers and will connect to Central America and Mexico by land.
Juan Castroverde manager of Movistar Panama said that "through the Central Telefónica network, companies will have greater capacity, quality, security and reliability of their data. The network will have an initial capacity of 10 Gigabits per second for data transmission, in addition to providing a variety of routes and connection points."
Costa Rica is the regional leader in 4G data consumption through mobile devices and 4G networks.
America Movil (Claro) and Telefonica (Movistar) agree that Costa Rica is the country with the highest data traffic in Central America, this is because it is the only country that does not charge for downloading data, but rather by the speed offered by providers.
América Móvil announced the acquisition of 100% of Digicel's operations in El Salvador and Honduras.
America Movil announced that it has agreed to acquire 100% of Digicel Group Limited and its affiliates in Honduras and El Salvador.
As part of the agreement, America Movil will sell its operations in Jamaica to Digicel.
The closing of the deal is subject to obtaining appropriate regulatory and governmental approvals in Honduras, El Salvador and Jamaica. The parties expect for approvals to be ready during the second quarter of 2011.
The companies formed a joint venture in order to provide financial solutions through mobile phones in Latin America.
Movistar mobile customers in Latin America may use the mobile phone to transfer money to other people, pay bills, purchase airtime and make purchases in shops and stores, among other services.
This is the first time that two leading companies in the payment industry and telecommunications sector have joined forces to create a new company focused on integrating the advantages of accessibility of mobile phones used as a tool for financial solutions associated with payment systems.
The computer maker and the telecommunications company seek to double the region’s internet penetration.
Under the terms of the alliance, the companies will market plans for customers to acquire computers and internet access services with special financing programs, explained Jorge Castillo, commercial director at Claro Guatemala.
Castillo added that 4 of HP’s computers will be sold at Claro’s stores with internet access included.
Tigo, Claro, Movistar and Digicel have trimmed some of their prices up to 50%, looking for a larger slice of the telecommunications market.
They have implemented various promotions, ranging from lower international, land and mobile phone calls, internet access and cable television to cell phones that can be acquired from as low as $7.
“Companies are sparing no efforts in getting more customers.
The telecommunications industry is one of the most successful in El Salvador; its market is one of the most unregulated of Central America.
An article in Ecommerce Journal analyzed the Salvadoran Telecomm market and its opportunities. It noted that once the market was privatized and opened to competition in 1998, foreign and local operators proceeded to invest millions in infrastructure development.
The companies announced that they will attack together some segments of the Central American market.
According to Ericsson's Phone Account manager, Mats Malmstrom, the company "expects an expansion of its Central and Latin American portfolio in 2009, in association with corporations such as Movistar, and offering solutions to users of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) ".
Mobile phones, the strongest sector for the regional economy, registered a decline in earnings in 2008.
El Periódico reported on its website: "While América Móvil added 1 million new customers in Central America in 2008, revenues from its subsidiaries in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua fell by 3.4 % and its profits were reduced by 26.6%.
By the end of 2008, El Salvador had the largest number of cell phones per person in Central America, with 6.6 million for a population of 5.8 million.
Experts say the large number of cell phones is a reflection of consumerism, promoted by intense advertising campaigns. Another factor that has played a role is the large number of Salvadorans living abroad, many of whom communicate with their families back home via mobile phone.
SmartTrust has been awarded a contract by América Móvil to deploy in CA its event-aware and subscriber-centric mobile device management solution.
With the automatic device configuration and SmartTrust's market leading Terminal Capability Repository, América Móvil (Claro) is now able to fully support their Value Added Services (VAS) and ensure that all the devices in its network will be recognized, correctly configured and optimized for the full extent of each device's specific potential and full capability.
Telefonica Central America presented its regional program "Commitment to the Client" yesterday in Panama.
Said program seeks to reinforce its position as a telecommunication company that attends to the needs of its clients, the company pointed out in a statement.
Telefonica is looking to offer a service of "excellence" throughout its commercial chain, from buying a cell phone, to voice and data quality, post-sales, added value, technical services and billing.