In 2016 $124 million worth of mobile phones were imported, and half of that value was for the brands Samsung, Huawei and Apple.
Figures from the information system on thethe Market for Mobile Telephones in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit atCentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with the chart"]
At the close of 2016, Comunicaciones Celulares S.A. had 52% of mobile phone users in operation, followed by Telecomunicaciones de Guatemala S.A. with 26% and Telefónica Móviles Guatemala S.A. with 22%.
The statistics bulletin for the second half of 2016, prepared by the Superintendency of Telecommunications, provides information on telephony and telecommunications in Guatemala concerning the operators: Commercial Network -ORC-, Local Network -ORL- and International Port-OPI-.
For the third time the date for submitting bids in the 70 MHz tender for the radio spectrum for international mobile technology services has been postponed.
For the third time, the deadline has been changed for submitting the proposals, after the operators interested in thetender filed appeals and objections against the tender conditions.
Cars, medicines, cell phones and wireless networking equipment topped the list of goods imported by the countries of the region at the end of the fourth quarter of 2016.
From the Central America Trade Monitor report, IV quarter 2016, by the SIECA:
Central America, March 30, 2017. Central American Trade saw a varied performance among countries in the region, according to figures from latestCentral American Trade Monitor report,for the fourth quarter of 2016.
Between January and September 2016 the countries in the region imported $791 million worth of cellular phones, 6% less than the imports in the same period in 2015.
Figures from the information system on themobile phone market in Central America compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [Figure caption = "Click to interact with graphics"]
Between December 2015 and June 2016 the number of fixed telephone lines grew by 40%, while the number of mobile lines grew by only 3% in the same period.
Figures from the Superintendency of Telecommunications in Guatemala show that the number of fixed telephones lines went from 1,710,000 in December 2015 to 2,400,000 in June last year, while the total number of mobile lines increased from 18.1 million to 18.6 million.
Of the 752,952 customers who in the past five years migrated from one provider to another in search of better quality and service, 94% correspond to mobile phones.
From a statement issued by the National Public Services Authority:
Five years after the implementation of Number Portability in Panama, figures show that to date 752,952 customers have migrated from one provider to another looking for a better quality of service and the best deals.
In the early years of the real market opening for cell lines, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad lost 518,000 customers to the hands of private companies.
Since number portability became effective on November 30, 2013, there have been 782,000 changeovers, according to figures from the Sutel requested by Nacion.com.That figure represents 10% of the 7.5 million mobile phone lines registered in December 2015.
Five years after the market opened up, three municipalities continue to prioritize landscape aesthetics versus the need to install structures to ensure cell phone coverage.
Two court cases motivated by the governments of the municipalities of Esparza and Moravia, and the filing an appeal with the Sala I by the Municipality of Curridabat, summarize the legal objections raised because of the installation of towers for the provision of cell phone services in Costa Rica, and which continue to generate controversy five years after the opening of the telecommunications sector, according to an article by Nacion.com.
An international process will start in the coming months to pre-qualify companies for the selection of a fourth mobile operator.
In August a tender was launched to hire a company to handle thedesign specifications of the tenderto enable the 900 MHz and 2500 MHz band, which the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel) will be holding in the coming months.
It has been announced that Telefonica will invest $250 million in implementation, in various stages, of the LTE telecommunications network.
From a statement issued by the Presidency of El Salvador:
The Spanish giant in the telecommunications industry, Telefonica, confirmed on Tuesday the good investment climate in El Salvador after announcing an investment of more than $250 million in the country with the installation of Movistar 's LTE network, using the latest technology for internet connection.
9.3 million mobile phone lines were registered at the end of 2015, but they are only able to operate on the 3G network as the 4G network has not even been put out to tender yet.
While the rest of the region has already made progress in the use of 4G technology, in El Salvador the process for awarding frequencies of that band between telecommunications companies has not yet even started.In the developed world they are now planning the implementation of 5G technology.
If the Sutel's proposal is approved, on December Costa Rica will eliminate the tariff regulation for the international telephone, internet and postpaid cellular telephony markets.
From a statement issued by the Superintendency of Telecommunications (Sutel):
The Superintendency of Telecommunications (Sutel), has started a process of public consultation of the technical analysis of the telecommunications markets.
In 2015 Central American countries bought $1251 million worth of mobile phones, of which 39% came from the US, 26% from China, 19% from Hong Kong and 5% from South Korea.
Figures from the Business Intelligence unit at CentralAmericaData.COM com indicate that in 2015 the main importer of cell phones was Guatemala, with $419 million, followed by Costa Rica, which spent $364 million, El Salvador, with $181 million, and Honduras, which imported $141 million worth of mobile phones.