After a resolution was issued for the reorganization of the 700 MHz band, Telecomunicaciones de Guatemala S.A. and the Human Rights Ombudsman's Office submitted appeals for revocation to the Superintendence of Telecommunications.
The controversy originated after Comunicaciones Celulares S.A. bought from Albavision in 2019 the usufruct titles that are immersed in the 700Mhz band. This transaction was made in the secondary market.
In Guatemala, the telephone company Tuenti reported that it will now be part of América Móvil, owner of the Claro brand, following the sale of Telefonica's shares in early 2019.
95% of the 21 million handsets registered as operational in July 2013 are prepaid.
The data was released by the Superintendency of Telecommunications (SIT). "Of every 10 active phones, nine are prepaid and only one uses a payment plan by the company providing the service," reported Prensalibre.com.
According to these statistics, Tigo reports 9.6 million prepaid lines, ie 49% of all subscribers.
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).
Growth rates are lower, and statistics show that there are 132 cell lines per 100 inhabitants, a fact that is leading phone companies to adopt new strategies for growth.
The growth rate of mobile telephony in Guatemala decreased from 2.5 million lines per year in 2005 to only about 460 thousand in 2010, a sign of market maturity. Today, Guatemala has 132 mobile phone lines per 100 inhabitants.
The company Telefonica and the Movistar brand have launched commercial HSPA+ hardware in the country.
Salvador Montes de Oca, director of Marketing and Advertising at Movistar Guatemala told the media that HSPA + technology offers download speeds of up to 21 data megabits per second (Mbps) and 5.7 Mbps for sending information.
For his part, Manuel Barrera executive of Claro "announced last November 24 the company's transition to the use of such technology.
Telephony revenue increased 10.5% between 2008 and 2009; the sector represents 6.5% of GDP and 8.3% of tax revenue.
According to reports published by Pyramid Research, the telephone market in Guatemala generated revenue of $ 2.1 billion in 2009, of which $ 1.37 billion (66%) were generated by mobile services.
The numbers also show the remarkable growth experienced by mobile operators in recent years: 4.5 million mobile lines in 2005 to 17.3 million in 2009, meaning there are now 126 phones per 100 inhabitants.
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.
In 2008, only 6 out of each 100 persons had internet access in Guatemala. The situation seems poised to change with the current competition in the 3G mobile market.
4 companies offer 21 different plans for wireless internet access, via devices containing a SIM card similar to those used by mobile cell phones, only that these devices only send and receive data using the same networks as mobile phones.
Despite the crisis, mobile phone lines continued growing in Guatemala, reaching 16 million after the first half of 2009.
Growth is expected to continue in the second semester, even surpassing the first half, as it is common for mobile phone lines to enjoy greater demand in the second halves of each year.
Claro and Tigo own the largest share of the market, with 37% each, followed by Telefónica with 25% according to data from the Telecommunications Superintendence.
The telecommunications market in Guatemala will grow at a compound rate of 5% over the next 5 years, reaching $2.800 million in 2014.
Revenues for this market were $1.9 billion in 2009, out of which 62% was generated by the mobile segment, according to a recent study by Pyramid Research. This segment would grow at a 13.7% annual rate over the next 5 years and "though messaging will remain the main source of revenue, connectivity will gain more than 10 percentage points of total revenue fueled by mobile Internet and mobile broadband", states a press release in Reuters.com.
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.