From 3.1 million lines in 2004, mobile telephony in Guatemala has increased sevenfold, amounting to to 20.7 million lines at the end of 2011.
In the second half of 2011, more than two million new users were added to the market, making the number of users around the country at the end of December 2011 20.7 million, according to the Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (SIT).
The increase in the number of mobile phone line users during the first half of 2011 was almost half a million.
As of 30 June, the total number of lines stood at 18,528,667, an increase of 5.7% compared to the same period in 2010, according to preliminary information from the Superintendency of Telecommunications (SIT).
The company Tigo has 43% of the cell phone market, followed by Claro, with 34% and Telefonica with 23.1%.
Tigo's new 3.5G network will provide high speed mobile internet access, video calls and TV on cellphones.
Even thought the first operator to launch their third generation network was Claro, which is own by the Mexican company America Movil, it only covers Guatemala City; meanwhile the network launched by Tigo, which is owned by the European firm Millicom Internacional Cellular (MIC), will have coverage in 65 cities, including 22 capitals of departments.
All features of a computer that is connected to the internet are now available to Claro cellular customers.
Claro, a subsidiary of America Movil, launched its 3G (Third Generation) services from the first semester of this year, with the capability of surfing at high speeds and using various software applications; nonetheless, with the continued improvements, the network is now 3.5G, said Richard Sherman, Ericsson's IT Manager for Central America and the Caribbean.