More choice and diversity in programming characterize a market where, of the 15 licenses granted, eight are in operation three are 'Preparing for Entry' and four have stopped operating.
According to statistics from the National Institute of Statistics and Census of the Comptroller General of the Republic, there are currently 919,000 TV users, of which 46% watch cable TV, ie there are 423,000 households with cable TV service.
In 2015 Central America will sell $2 billion in paid television and broadband services, both wireless and cable.
A report from consulting company Signals Telecom foresees a battle in broadband services, as the average speeds offered in Central America are below South American and Caribbean averages.
They also expect competition to cause improvements in 3G coverage, and the introduction of more added value services.
The broadband, mobile and fixed telephony provider selected Ciena Corporation for this project.
Ciena® Corporation, the network specialist, today announced that Cable & Wireless Panama has upgraded its nationwide backbone network using the family of CN 4200® FlexSelect® Advanced Services Platforms. The new network
provides efficient transport for a variety of TDM and transparent Ethernet services using advanced Optical Transport Network (OTN) and software-programmable port technologies that maximize the operator`s flexibility for offering multiple services to its residential and enterprise customers.
Gilat Satellite Networks will supply its SkyEdge II network to Cable&Wireless Panama to deliver broadband Internet to hundreds of schools in remote areas nationwide.
Gilat did not disclose the value of the deal, but market sources estimate it at $1.2 million.
Cable&Wireless Panama is the country's largest telecommunications operator. Gilat will provide equipment, technical support, assisted network operations, and training.
Cable & Wireless mobile operator, +Móvil, sold 75.000 cell phones in June 2009.
"+Movil cell phone market share is 57%, and competes with Telefónica, Digicel and Claro Panamá", said Roberto Mendoza, the company's executive director of Corporate Affairs.
+Movil 2.5 million users send 17 million short text messages each month.
Panama imported $190 million worth of mobile phones in 2008, at a time when Claro was not operating in the country and Digicel was just starting.
This industry is growing at rapid pace, fueled by the fast advances in technology, as new features are being added almost constantly: longer lasting batteries, internet navigation, video calls, GPS, etc.
Panama's mobile phone penetration stands at 115%, meaning that each Panamanian uses more than one device on average.
With an investment of $2.3 million, Cable and Wireless Panama created a new telephone hub for its residential internet and telephone services.
The expansion of the telephone and Internet network, along with the construction of a new telephone hub, allows C&W Panama to offer broadband internet and other services to more than 5,000 homes.
According to the article in Pa-digital.com.pa by Michelle Domínguez, “Among the benefitted areas are Nuevo Tocumen, Los Cantaros, Altos del Angel, La Siesta and Villas de La Siesta, and coming soon will be Dos Rios, El Lago and Villas de Santa Barbara.”
The telecommunications transnational is interested in operating in Costa Rica and it could invest $400 million in infrastructure.
According to Pa-digital.com.pa, Jorge Nicolau, president and manager of Cable & Wireless Panama, indicated that "the guarantee, the efficiency, and the experience of its platform in Panama and in other countries place them as one of the main candidates to reach the more than 4.5 million Costa Ricans."
Sales increased by 8% during last fiscal period, when compared to the $617 million sold during the previous period.
Even with the entry of two newcomers, Claro and Digicel, into the Panamanian telecommunications market, Cable & Wireless managed to record an 8% increase in sales last fiscal period, which ended on March 31.
According to Prensa.com, George Nicolau, CEO of Cable & Wireless Panama, said: "These excellent results are due to aggressive promotional offers, improved coverage and customer service."
On April 22, the smart-phone was officially launched in Panama, Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.
The BlackBerry Storm™ cellular phone will be available in May through four mobile phone operators. The price, not including the service, will be around $600 and $750.
David M. Añón, director of Channel Marketing in Latin American for Research In Motion (RIM), commented to Padigital.com.pa: "Panama has become a center of economic and commercial importance where users seek state-of-the-art technology in a single device."
A new mobile phone operator could enter the market in February 2010. The cartel will be published between June and September 2009.
After the Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Telecommunications (MINAET) requests for the Superintendent of Telecommunications (SUTEL) to begin the tender for the concession in May 2009, the whole process could last from 3 to 6 months, depending on the assessment method used.
Cell-phone companies have 6.6 million wireless phone numbers allocated, but only 3 million are active.
Through March 2009, Cable & Wireless (C&W) and Telefónica Móviles (Movistar) have 2.7 million lines each, Digicel has 900 thousand and Claro Panama, which has just begun operations, has 300 thousand, according to data from the National Authority for Public Services published by Prensa.com.
The four mobile phone companies will compete for the market with heavy promotions and aggressive strategies in Panama.
Competition between Digicel, Telefónica Movistar, +Mobile Cable & Wireless and Claro in order to attract more customers with prepaid service plans has increased.
The Prepaid Marketing Manager for +Mobile Cable & Wireless Panama, told Pa-digital, "The current market is highly competitive within the mobile industry."
Users benefit from telecommunications competition with lower prices and a diversity of plans and conditions.
The mobile or cellular segment is the fastest growing telecommunications sector.
Pa-digital.com published: "According to Ivan Ramos, Roaming and International Long Distance Manager for +Mobile Cable & Wireless in Panama, 'the destinations with the most mobile call traffic abroad are the United States, Colombia, Costa Rica and Venezuela,' for which promotional rates are available, beginning at 5 cents per minute in addition to airtime."
Complications with antennae installations have impeded the business from operating since December 27, the previously anticipated date.
An article in dialogociudadano.com reports that: "Claro faced problems when placing the antennaes, after installing four base radio stations and their telephone central." And that, "Some of the communities in which antennas where to be installed protested until it impeded construction based on arguments that went from aesthetic and environmental concerns to health risks."