The state run telecommunications company has announced it will be investing $100 million in internet infrastructure to offer broadband and fiber optics services.
The general manager of the Honduran Telecommunications Company (Hondutel), Jesus Mejia, said in remarks published by Latribuna.hn that they will be investing approximately $100 million, about 2,200 million lempiras to increase supply in two market segments.
Systor International will be responsible for managing the porting process, which will be funded by operators of frequencies for mobile phones.
Authorities from the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel), as well as executives from the mobile operators Tigo, Claro and Hondutel confirmed that the Norwegian company Systor International will is responsible for the operation, administration and management of the central database for the number portability process.
In various departments state officials are owed wages, and at the same time there is increasing pressure from others to be granted increases in their salaries.
Among the sectors that have been affected are employees in the Health department, the Honduran Telecommunications Company (Hondutel), the Public Ministry and the National Police.
For example, the Ministry of Health owes $3.5 million to 672 doctors on contracts nationwide, most have not been paid since January. Another nearly $5 million is owed to nurses and assistants in back wages and some shifts.
After reserving frequencies for the state run company Hondutel, Conatel awarded the rest of the band to Tigo and Claro, who will pay $12 million each.
Latribuna.hn reported that "The government has sold a license to operate a 4G mobile band worth $24,105,000, reserving a portion for the Honduran Telecommunications Company (Hondutel), so that it can exploit it in the future jointly with a private partner. "
The accumulated losses of the state company during this year continue to grow, reaching $20.3 million up to the end of August.
Up to August, the Honduran Telecommunications Company earned operating income of $69.4 million, of which $45 million was related to domestic calls and $24.5 million to international calls.
Expenses for services accounted for $30.6 million and operating expenses were for $54 million, resulting in an operating loss of $19.7 million, plus financial expenses and non-operating income which brought the company's losses to $20.3 million.
The Honduran government plans to find a partner to invest in the company through the purchase of 51% of the shares held by the state.
"We're backing the idea of the formation of a joint venture with a private investor where they will have a 51% stake, the government 22.5% of the shares, and employees who wish to will have 22.5% and 4% will be reserved for provident institutions," said Rigoberto Romero, president of the intervention commission.
In the absence of concrete plans to bail it out, the Honduran Congress has awarded an amount that will allow the telecoms company to survive for a few more months.
"These measures have the approval of the Executive, as was requested at the Legislative Budget Commission, in a form of "washing their hands" of the matter if the measure does not work", reported Laprensa.hn.
The Honduran president Porfirio Lobo has disbanded the intervention commission which tried to save the state communications company using a self rescue plan.
The president of Honduras was emphatic in dismissing outright any bailout attempt, saying "Fixed telephony is disappearing and its the same case for Hondutel, the instruction given to the Commission from the beginning is that they were to see how an alliance could be made with the workers and the union because we can not take on their concerns, if this doesnt fix the problem, no government is able to sustain Hondutel because it does not make sense to subsidize a company which should be providing a benefit to the state. "
The Intervention Commission, which failed to initiate a recovery of Hondutel, has missed its deadline, and now the Honduran government has no idea how to reverse the company's crisis.
President Porfirio Lobo has expressed concern over the crisis facing the state enterprise, as the company's budget has not been approved, hindering the start an investment plan to recover it, as well as making it difficult to pay salaries.
The company has two months to submit a new plan to the Executive on the integration of corporate governance and the search for a new strategic partner.
So ordered the Minister of the Presidency, María Antonieta Guillén. This comes after the granting of an extension to the term of the commission set up by the Honduran Telecommunications Company (Hondutel).
The country was the only one in Central America which had no law on the subject.
Telephone companies have until next September 30 to do everything that the law requires to start operating a number portability system by October 1.
According to Deputy Thomas Zambrano, the law will benefit more than seven million users who are subscribed to three mobile companies including Tigo, Claro and Hondutel.
An announcement has been made that a French company may be interested in the purchase of 51% shares of the Honduran Telecommunications Company.
If the purchase is realized, the company would install a modern technology platform for monitoring phone calls.
The president of the telecommunications commission in Congress, Rodolfo Irias Navas, reported on a meeting with representatives of the French Embassy in Honduras with company executives interested making the acquisition.
The Honduran Council of Ministers has approved a plan to bail out Hondutel, which requires a minimum funding of $200 million.
Laprensa.hn reports that among the actions in the plan is the formation of a comptroller commission, and obtaining funding for $150 million, which must be approved by Congress. These funds would be earmarked for the modernization of the state run company and downsizing.
Following the resignation of its general manager, an oversight board will assume the administration of the Honduran Telecommunications Company.
Laprensa.hn reports that a decree signed by President Lobo, establishes the creation of an intervention commission to be appointed by himself, so that Hondutel can "operate, maintain, expand and modernize the national and international telecommunications services" through the development of a financial rescue and budget plan.
Following a request from interested companies, Hondutel has decided to extend the deadline for receipt of bids until January 25, 2013.
A new public-private cell phone company will be created under the figure of a subsidiary, in which a strategic partner will manage Empresa Hondureña de Telefonía Móvil (Movitelh).
According to an article published in Elheraldo.hn, the government has not yet officially released the price for the 49% stake in the company, but it has emerged that the applicant will have to pay $75 million.