Imports of cell phones have grown by 10% over the past 5 years, going from $57 million in 2010 to $63 million in 2015.
Figures provided by the Business Intelligence unit at CentralAmericaData.com show that imports of cell phones measured in tons increased from 342 to 455 between 2010 and 2015. According to the Foreign Trade report by the Central Bank of Nicaragua,"... this product occupies first place in imports of durable consumer goods".
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)."
After one year of competition in mobile communications, the changes that have taken place reveal a market that is different from how many expected.
The market transformation has been swift and contained surprising nuances. Cellular penetration swiftly exceeded 100%, while the use of mobile Internet exceeded forecasts.
Pablo Fonseca's article in Nacion.com reports that "Although more changes will come in the short and medium term, it is good to take stock. Many people were clear that the Costa Rican market was no ordinary market and had certain characteristics that needed to be taken into account when dealing with it, such as a thirst for technology, the level of information being handled, the requirements to be able to receive what is being offered and the level of spending willing to be made for a handset “
The massive and growing use of mobile devices is hitting businesses hard, generating great opportunity and great risks.
A report from RSA (The Security of Business Innovation Council), once again brings to the forefront the growth of mobile phone use in businesses for both internal management and to communicate with customers and consumers. Each day more and more marketing and sales operations, support, and production management, involves mobile business applications.
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. "
Of the total numbers assigned, 26 million, 22.7 million are mobiles and only 3.3 million landlines.
At the end of the first half of 2011 there were 20.2 million registered numbers. Up until the end of August 2012, the Superintendency of Telecommunications (SIT) had delivered 26.03 million, 5.83 million in just over a year.
While the growth rate is unstable, so far this year 3.3 million cell phone numbers have been allocated versus 170,000 fixed telephone lines, said the administrator of the National Numbering Plan at the Superintendency of Telecommunications (Sit), Carlos Pineda.
Cable & Wireless Panama (CWP), Telefonica Panama, Digicel Panama and Claro are the companies competing for the local market.
Panama has 3.3 million inhabitants and 7,281,074 registered mobile phone lines, according to the National Authority of Public Services (ASEP), which is more than two lines per person.
Despite the growth, experts estimate that the local market has not reached a point of maturity and there is lack of serious study providing a realistic view of the situation in telecommunications, and in particular in mobile telephony. Antonio Garcia, Business Development Manager of Claro Panama, is one of the supporters of this idea.
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).
While announcing that the service coverage will be limited due to problems with local municipalities regarding the installation of antennas, the Spanish company opened pre-registration for clients.
The announcement was made by the Director for Costa Rica, Jorge Abadia, adding "We wont have the 100% coverage that we would like from the first day but we will achieve it."
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.
The increase in the number of mobile phone line users during the first half of 2011 was almost half a million.
As of 30 June, the total number of lines stood at 18,528,667, an increase of 5.7% compared to the same period in 2010, according to preliminary information from the Superintendency of Telecommunications (SIT).
The company Tigo has 43% of the cell phone market, followed by Claro, with 34% and Telefonica with 23.1%.
The bidding rules for getting a mobile telephony frequencies will be published on February 5th.
George Miley, president of the council of the Telecommunications Superintendent (Sutel), reported that the frequencies will be awarded on May 5th.
"Sutel will ask bidders to prove they are important companies. It will require 5 years of experience, presence in at least three countries and no less than 3 million phone subscribers", reported Nacion.com..
Active mobile phones increased from 6.7 million in June 2008 to 7.4 million today.
Data from Siget, the telecommunications superintendence, show there are more cell phones than people in the country. June 2007 census measured 5.7 million inhabitants.
"In El Salvador, the telephony market is shared among several companies, the most renowned being Tigo, Claro, Telefónica and Digicel, who are engaged in an advertising war for obtaining a larger chunk of the telecom pie", reports Elsalvador.com.
The company, through its Claro brand, announced investment in infrastructure, retail outlets and health care centers.
The coverage that the company has managed is more than 80% in cellular phones and 50% in mobile internet since coming into the mobile telephone market in March 2008, announced Oscar Borda, the Company's Central American Director.
Dialogo Ciudadano.com reported the director's statements: "The response we have had is good.
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