With a $1.460 million investment, Millicom International Celular completed the acquisition of 80% of the capital of Cable Onda, one of the country's telephone, Internet and cable TV operators.
Cable Onda announced in a press release that following an extensive conversation process, Cable Onda S.A. and Millicom International Cellular S.A. have established a strategic alliance in which Millicom assumes an important ownership of Cable Onda as well as the business management. The agreement includes Telecarrier and Fronteras Securtity.
Cable Onda S.A., Cable & Wireless Panama and Liberty Technologies won the 4 year contracts to implement the service of nationwide public internet access in Panama.
Thetenderaims to provide WiFi Internet Access Points in three regions and a system for administration of the network. The winning companies were Cable Onda, S.A., Cable & Wireless Panama, S.A. and Liberty Technologies Corp., for a total amount of $21.6 million for the next four years, distributed as follows:
The speed with which the Panamanian economy is developing is demanding skilled labour which, at the moment, the country is unable to supply.
The lack of qualified people in the areas of technology, software development and telecommunications is one of the challenges facing Panama as a consequence of its economic growth.
An article in Revistaitnow.com explains that "the IT sector in Panama consists mainly of the segments of software development, telecommunications, specialized services such as call centers and data centers which rely on the competitive advantages that the country has, but that does not mean that it can develop them alone. "
The Social Security Department has canceled the tender for the installation and maintenance of teleradiology equipment and announced a new contest with new rules.
The Social Security Department (CSS by its initials in Spanish) has suspended the tender after resolving the last complaint submitted Cable & Wireless Panama / Promotion Medical, SA (C & W-Promed) against the second round of bidding in which Cable Onda also participated.
Following the cancellation of the first tender, where there were only two interested parties, in Panama there are now are ten companies in the contest that will award a contract worth close to $88 million.
Meditron Panama, Sanjur and Associates, Cable & Wireless (C & W), Horacio Icaza and Co., Promed, Cable Onda, Maxia, Biomedical Support and Systems, Medical Electronics and RESERMA are companies that appear in the minutes of the clarfication meeting of the second call for tender to be held on 21 May.
The tender for teleradiology services in Panama has been declared void by the Social Security Department, who rejected the proposals submitted by Cable Onda and C & W-Promed.
"In the tender for greatest amount, which has a reference price of $88 million, and a five-year contract, proposals were submitted by C & W-Promed for $105,595,132 and Cable Onda for $105,599,999", reported Prensa.com.
Cable Onda and Cable & Wireless are the bidders in the tender to install and manage for five years teleradiology services for users of the Social Security Department.
Both companies submitted bids in the tender, but also some complaints have been brought to light regarding the recruitment process by the Social Security Department (CSS). The consortium Cable & Wireless (C & W), has complained of an alleged disadvantage with their qualification in the process, after a technical committee disqualified them for not delivering technical certification for one of the pieces of equipment.
Cable Onda acquired 100% of Advanced operations following an agreement between the shareholders of both institutions.
Following this transaction, Cable Onda increases its market share in business telephone, internet and cable TV in both residential and corporate and SME.
Rafy Attie, Director of Advanced, stated that "both customers and employees of Advance will be part of a more solid and robust organization with a deep commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction. From now on customers will receive added value to their services, such as the convenience of receiving one bill for television services ....".
The Government will contract directly with companies Cable & Wireless and Cable Onda to deliver the services.
Three companies, Cable & Wireless, Telefónica and Cable Onda had participated in the bidding process which was canceled on September 6.
It was believed the business would be split among three companies which participated in the bidding, but the administrator of the regulatory authority (Anigo) stated that Telefonica was not considered because its proposal was the highest.
Participating companies awaiting the results of an invitation to tender by Panama's innovation authority (AIG in Spanish) saw it reject all offers received.
Three companies (Telefónica Panamá with a $60 million offer, Cable Onda with $29 million and Cable & Wireless Panama with $36 million) were competing for the contract to provide the state's telecommunications services.
The government's innovation authority (AIG in Spanish) has rejected all bids submitted to provide the services.
Three companies had presented offers to supply a multi-service network providing integrated voice, internet and data services to state institutions. Telefónica Móviles made an offer of $60 million, Cable Onda $29 million and Cable & Wireless Panama $36 million.
The Panamanian company is negotiating with cellular telephony operators to offer joint 'deals and services'.
Cable Onda's general manager, Nicolás González Revilla, has indicated that the company is currently holding discussions with Digicel, Claro and Telefónica and predict that by the end of the year they will be able to offer joint products.
"Cable Onda, which provides cable TV, Internet and fixed line telecommunication services, is not currently able to offer mobile telephone services until the government reopens the period for concession applications," reports La Prensa.
Three companies have presented bids to provide an integrated multi-service network supplying voice, internet and data communication services to state institutions.
The bidders were Teléfonica Móviles with $60 million, Cable Onda with $29 million and Cable and Wireless with $36 million.
"The head of the Panamanian government's innovation authority (AIG in Spanish), Eduardo Jaén, explained that in this weighted tender evaluation process, the economic part of the offer will contribute 35% of the total value, with experience contributing 10%, financial status 10% and the network design 45%," reports Pa-digital.com.pa.
Company Cable Onda launched a project to turn its signal to digital in the entire country.
Manuel García Villareal, marketing manager, commented that the project will require a year and a half to be ready. It will start in Panama City, expanding from there to the rest of the country.
“They are also betting on new services and opportunities such as ‘video on demand’.