With the admission of a new procedure for the authorization of economic concentration, presented by América Movil and Telefonica de El Salvador, begins "the technical, economic and legal analysis that will determine whether or not the transaction will cause a significant limitation of competition."
Both companies submitted this third application for authorization on 19 September this year.
After rejecting the two previously filed applications, El Salvador's Superintendence of Competition confirmed that it had received a new request for América Móvil to complete the acquisition process of Telefónica.
The Superintendence of Competition of El Salvador once again declared "inadmissible the request for authorization of economic concentration presented by América Móvil, which would consist of the acquisition of the share capital necessary to control Telefónica's operations."
The mergers and acquisitions being reported in Central America are largely because not all companies in the region are willing to make the heavy investments that the transition to 5G technology will require.
The most recent register of the sale of assets of one of the Central American competitors is the case of Telefónica, which on January 24 reported that for $648 million it sold to América Móvil all the shares of Telefónica Guatemala and 99.3% of Telefónica El Salvador.
Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad is evaluating the Salvadoran market to determine if there is an opportunity to establish itself as a new broadband operator.
The state telecommunications company already has a presence in Nicaragua, where in conjunction with the state company Enatrel, it operates the company Telecomunica, which provides internet and television services.
Representatives from the telephone company Tigo in El Salvador, announced that in 2018 they will invest $100 million in the expansion and maintenance of their network.
The telephony company started operating its LTE network last year, and in 2018 it plans to maintain and expand its infrastructure.
Marcelo Alemán, CEO of Tigo El Salvador, told Laprensagrafica.com that the investment of " ... $100 million will be for infrastructure and maintenance works ..." of the network, and it will also be investing "... another $150 million in promoting its products and services ... "
"The regulation exercised by the Siget in the retail mobile market discourages investment in infrastructure and the acquisition of larger portions of the spectrum."
Without the regulation of retail prices, the Salvadoran mobile phone market would have incentives for investments with social and economically desirable ends, concludes the study entitled "Analysis of the regulation of retail prices of mobile telephony in El Salvador",prepared by the Center for Studies on Telecommunications in Latin America.
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.
From August 24 procedures will be enabled to allow for the transfer of fixed and mobile telephone lines from one operator to another.
Almost six months late, the General Superintendency of Electricity and Telecommunications (SIGET) has announced the start of number portability, whose implementation is in the hands of the company ImCard-MEDIAFON.
The Superintendency of Electricity and Telecommunications is preparing the tender conditions for an auction of 40 MHz of radio spectrum for mobile operators.
The Superintendency of Electricity and Telecommunications (SIGET) plans to re launch the auction. Although the process of calling on the companies concerned has not yet started, a process is underway to determine if it will be opened up to new companies or only those already established.
Details from a report given to the Securities and Exchange Commission on the company's activities in the six Central American countries during the first quarter of 2014.
Operating revenues in Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama) during the first three months of 2014 increased by 12.1% compared to the first three months of 2013.
The arrival of new mobile services could be delayed if the uncertainty surrounding the renewal of licenses to mobile operators continues.
A report by the company GSMA, a firm that brings together more than 800 mobile operators in the world, presented a study which analyzes the state of the radio spectrum in Latin America and how the licenses are renewed for use in countries such as Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama.
The launch of Digicel service is part of an investment plan in which $45 million has been invested to modernize the technological infrastructure.
In the first year of execution of the the 2013-2015 Master Investment Plan $30 million will be invested and the remaining $15 million will be invested over the next two years.
José Antonio Rodríguez, CEO of Digicel El Salvador, said "we are taking a leap in technology, going from 2G to HSDPA + technology, known as 4G, which is being used in developed countries."
The President of Grupo Digicel has announced investments over the next eighteen months of more than $40 million.
In his short visit to El Salvador, Denis O'Brien was interviewed about the expansion, with topics covered such as the Salvadoran authorities refusal to authorize the sale of Digicel to Claro and the company’s future investments in the country.