Since its implementation, the number of mobile phone users who have switched operators amounts to 340,000 and in the case of fixed telephony, to 34,000.
From a statement issued by the Public Services Authority of Panama (ASEP):
Three years after its implementation, the number of mobile phone users who have successfully completed the transaction and benefited from Number Portability amounts to 339,000, while for fixed telephony successful transfers total 33,706.
The Superintendency of Telecommunications in Costa Rica has presented its second statistical report for the period 2010-2013.
From the report by SUTEL:
General Development of Sector
Five years after the adoption of the General Telecommunications Law, No. 8642, evaluation of sector performance shows positive results in revenue, investment, employment, population coverage and diversification of telecommunications services.
The Public Utilities Authority has awarded to Digicel eighty-eight of the 230 additional frequencies requested by the company.
From a statement issued by the National Public Services Authority of Panama:
Resolution:
FIRST: ASSIGN to the concessionaire DIGICEL (PANAMA), SA, eighty-eight (88) additional frequencies, which are detailed below, to provide a Personal Communications Service (PCS), identified with the No.106, whose technical parameters are described in Appendix A entitled "Frequency Use Authorizations (AUF)" (see source).
In Costa Rica, 71% of users connect to the internet via their cell phone, while 68% do so using a computer at home.
Elfinancierocr.com reports that "that means that about 920,000 people say that they connect to the internet using a mobile device," according to a study prepared by Unimer RED 506, which noted that access through this medium grew by 56% compared to 2011 and 30% compared to 2012.
During 2013 there were 66.834 changes in suppliers, just over 1% of the number of active lines.
The figure is a slightly up from 2012, when 58,388 users switched providers during the same months.
According to Chilean firm LookUp, Panama ranks number three in Latin America in terms of the highest percentage of portability, surpassed only by Chile and Colombia, where the number of changes of provider represent 3.23% and 1.06% of the number of active lines.
After the appearance of number portability in Panama, Claro is the company that has attracted the most users, with 94,773, while only 12,396 have switched to another company.
Following this company is Movistar who "... has gained 26,517 users, Más Móvil with 26,540 and in last place Digicel, which has attracted only 17,258 users, according to a study by the polling company Ipsos" published Panamaamerica.com.pa.
When portability was allowed in Panama, some expected an stampede of users unhappy with their providers, but the dynamics have been very different.
This same feeling is held by the telecommunications companies in Costa Rica, who could take the situation in Panama as an example, where changes represent only 1.92% of the number of cell phone customers in the country, estimated at 6, 7 million up to the end of 2012.
The Costa Rica state telecom company is moving away from the purpose that justifies its existence and is impeding the exercise of the popular will in terms of the cellular market opening up.
The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), after using every piece of legal chicanery imaginable to prevent the implementation of number portability, is now simply saying "I WONT SIGN", citing technical insolvency as its reason for not integrating the system that allows users to migrate from one cellular communication provider to another, while keeping their phone number.
In June 2012 the number of active lines was recorded at 19.8 million, 4.6% less than the 20.7 million recorded at end of 2011.
Elperiodico.com.gt reports that "After nearly two decades of steady expansion, in the first half of this year the cellular figures reported a negative, according to a report prepared by the Superintendency of Telecommunications (SIT)."
Over 80% of telephone calls are made via cell phones, and the vast majority are by private operators.
According to the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel), the number of households with mobile phones increased from 657,000 in 2006 to 1.4 million in 2011.
Cell phone use has become the communication system with the highest penetration in the country, for every 100 minutes of local or national calls, 81% are made via a mobile phone.
The privatization of telecommunications in Costa Rica is still hampered by bureaucracy and lack of agreements in favor of consumers.
They are still 13 Costa Rican municipalities who are not authorizing the installation of “so called” cell towers because of lack of regulations in this respect, or because the regulations, where they do exist, contains disproportionate demands which make it "virtually impossible to install the structures."
Since the formal break up of the monopoly held by the state communications firm, ICE, the number of allocated cell lines has grown from 3.9 to 5.3 million.
Elfinancierocr.com reports that this information was obtained "by an appeal to the Constitutional Court, which forced the Sutel to provide the number of lines that the ICE had up to November 2011, which was considered a strategic issue by the state company and the regulator. "
The government of Costa Rica does not seem to have much interest in the radio electric spectrum concession which belongs to them. Not only is the state losing money, but opportunities are being lost for society.
Sometime in the not too near future the Costa Rican state will put out to tender a concession for a block of frequencies which was due in 2011.
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).
Cellular stores have had reduced sales since the process of opening the telecommunications market started.
Retail businesses selling cell phones have experienced significant declines since the start of the privatisation process in the telecommunications sector.
The most commercial aggressiveness has been seen by the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) who are offering packages where the phone is free, and added to this is the entry of new competitors such as Claro and Movistar, which has affected traders dedicated to only selling the phones.