America Movil, Claro's parent company, is investing in the development and delivery of broadband services.
Users of the Claro network, and now Digicel, will have access to greater geographical coverage, better quality and innovation in services, and higher speeds.
So said the director of Claro Honduras, Luis del Cid, who announced the acquisition, which was negotiated between the parties in the first quarter of 2011.
The Mexican telephony giant announced it has completed the acquisition of phone company Digicel in Honduras.
A press release from American Mobile reads:
America Movil, announced today (November 30, 2011) that as part of the agreement with Digicel Group Limited and its affiliates ("Digicel") during the first quarter of 2011, has acquired on this date 100% of Digicel’s operations in Honduras and sold to Digicel its operations in Jamaica.
América Móvil announced the acquisition of 100% of Digicel's operations in El Salvador and Honduras.
America Movil announced that it has agreed to acquire 100% of Digicel Group Limited and its affiliates in Honduras and El Salvador.
As part of the agreement, America Movil will sell its operations in Jamaica to Digicel.
The closing of the deal is subject to obtaining appropriate regulatory and governmental approvals in Honduras, El Salvador and Jamaica. The parties expect for approvals to be ready during the second quarter of 2011.
Through a partnership between Digicel and Aeropuertos de Honduras, the four airports will have free internet service.
The agreement also includes installation of recharging cell phone towers.
"Wi-Fi service will be available starting today in waiting rooms and food court areas in Toncontín airport in Tegucigalpa, Ramon Villeda Morales in San Pedro Sula and thereafter in Golosón of La Ceiba and Juan Manuel Galvez in Bay Islands", reports Elheraldo.hn.
The mobile telephony provider, who operates in Central America and the Caribbean, reached 10.8 million customers.
Colm Delves, CEO of the company, commented the company’s results for the March 2009- March 2010 period. He noted that the situation in Honduras has been difficult due to the economic and political crisis, but that things are coming back to normality.
BlackBerry Bold is now available in Honduras through Digicel’s corporate plans.
The device handles high-speed data networks, and features GPS, Wi-Fi, 3.2 MP camera and high resolution display.
Adda Molina, Digicel Marketing Director said: “This smartphone will assist our clients in their professional and business lives, by combining design and performance”.
Diapa, a food distribution company, signed an distribution agreement with Digicel.
With this alliance, Digicel will sell its mobile phone cards and recharge packages in Diapa's 70.000 points of sale in the country.
"Larisa Espinal, Digicel's public relations officer, explained that 'this strategic alliance will benefit thousand of users' with a new distribution network", reported Proceso Digital.
Consumers will be able to buy more minutes for their mobile phone lines in any of the 67 restaurants of Grupo Intur.
Gupo Intur operates several international franchises in Honduras: Chilli’s, Popeyes, Pollo Campero, Dunkin Donuts and Burger King.
"Consumers will be able to buy additional minutes for their mobile lines not only inside the restaurants, but also in auto-services or 'drive-thru's", reported proceso.hn.
The multinational company opened 5 new regional offices in Choluteca, Juticalpa, La Ceiba and Santa Rosa de Copán.
They have staff in marketing, advertising and technology.
"Digiciel, of Irish origin, reached in June 10 million cell phone lines in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific Islands, according to a press release by the company".
In 2009, Digicel will invest between $150 and $200 million, Tigo between $100 and $150 million and Claro between $50 and $100 million.
Elheraldo.hn reports: "There has been a historic amount of investment in cellular phones in Honduras.
This behavior will continue in the medium term, executives from Tigo, Claro and Digicel agreed, although they preferred to speak anonymously so as not to reveal their strategies.
Leaders from Digicel reported that they have brought state of the art technology to Honduras, along with competitive rates, better signal and coverage in the country's 18 departments.
"We are here to stay, we are happy to offer Honduras a new option in mobile services, with better signal, and the confidence to make their call with one try, without dropped calls," said the executive director of Digicel Honduras, Miguel Garcia, to the press.
The company was awarded the tender to offer low cost Wimax Internet services.
Wimax is a telecommunications technology that provides wireless high speed internet service, for desktop and laptop computers, as well as mobile phones.
The other competing companies were Celtel, Sercom, Lumelsa, Autoconsa and Axioma Empresarial.
The cellular telephone company Digicel Group de Honduras has signed a contract with Ericsson to provide GSM/EDGE services.
This will make Ericsson the main supplier for Digicel for its operations in the Caribbean, El Salvador and now in Honduras.
Under the terms of the agreement, Ericsson will be the only supplier of the GSM/EDGE network, which includes core network, access to radio and microwave transmissions.
The Irish company Digicel plans to enter the Honduran market in December, and has announced that it will invest 350 million dollars in its first year of operations.
The investment will be divided among development and network infrastructure, telecommunications equipment, and the introduction of the brand, channels and terminals.
This investment is in addition to the 80 million dollars the company paid the government to obtain the fourth band of cellular telephones.
Investments in telecommunications in Honduras are being held up by delays in approval by the National Congress of a framework law for the sector.
"Private phone operators reckon they will have cancelled plans for US$50 million of investment by the end of this year," said a spokesman for the telephone companies' association, Asetel.
"What we're looking for is a law that makes clear the rules of the game and ensures a level playing field," he added.
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