Last year, countries in the region imported communication radios for $52 million, and Central American purchases from Mexican companies increased by 79% compared to what was reported in 2019.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graph"]
The Costa Rican Electricity Institute tenders the maintenance service and installations in the telecommunications network, for the western metropolitan region.
Costa Rican Government Purchase 2020LI-000002-0000400001:
"The contracted service will be carried out in the established area, in the territory covered by each plant that makes up the lines, with a scope of action in exceptional cases of 60 kilometers around the limit of the contracted area.
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 lack of proper infrastructure and the lack of allocation of radio spectrum are some of the reasons why it is difficult for telecommunications companies to improve Internet connection or lower prices for services.
Internet operators in Costa Rica face adversities to improve service and provide better prices to consumers, including the deficit of appropriate infrastructure.
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.
The percentage of the population with Internet access in Central America increased 17% between 2016 and 2018, increasing from 44% to 61%.
Data from the report "Internet in Central America 2018", compiled by the Commercial Trade Area of CentralAmericaData:
Currently, Costa Rica is the Central American country with the highest proportion of households with Internet access, with 77% of the total, followed by Panama with 67% and Honduras with 31%.
The company Tigo has announced that it plans to invest $20 million in the installation of a TIER III data center in the Olocuilta free zone.
George Farkass, vice president of Tigo Business, explained to Laprensagrafica.com that "... The TIER III offers nine levels of reliability, and business continuity regardless of whether any natural disaster happens. It will be for any corporate client, not only for Tigo, and we will be the first to build it, we are not remodeling it, we are building it from scratch."
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 Superintendency of Competition has ruled that conditions be set on the acquisition of the companies Caribeña and Caribeña Cable de El Salvador by Telemóvil El Salvador.
From a statement issued by the Superintendency of Competition:
In order to prevent possible effects contrary to sound competition in the markets, theBoard of Directors of the Superintendency of Competitiondecided to condition the acquisition of the portfolio of clients subscribed to TV and internet services and telecommunications services and of the assets of the companies Caribeña S.A. de C.V. and Caribeña Cable de El Salvador S.A. de C.V. by Telemóvil El Salvador, S.A. de C.V.
"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.