Movistar has invested $15 million in a latest generation fiber optic network which will interconnect overland with Central Mexico.
Movistar, the mobile phone brand of Telefónica, has invested $15 million in a fiber optic network that will cover 3,158 kilometers and will connect to Central America and Mexico by land.
Juan Castroverde manager of Movistar Panama said that "through the Central Telefónica network, companies will have greater capacity, quality, security and reliability of their data. The network will have an initial capacity of 10 Gigabits per second for data transmission, in addition to providing a variety of routes and connection points."
Costa Rica is the regional leader in 4G data consumption through mobile devices and 4G networks.
America Movil (Claro) and Telefonica (Movistar) agree that Costa Rica is the country with the highest data traffic in Central America, this is because it is the only country that does not charge for downloading data, but rather by the speed offered by providers.
The companies formed a joint venture in order to provide financial solutions through mobile phones in Latin America.
Movistar mobile customers in Latin America may use the mobile phone to transfer money to other people, pay bills, purchase airtime and make purchases in shops and stores, among other services.
This is the first time that two leading companies in the payment industry and telecommunications sector have joined forces to create a new company focused on integrating the advantages of accessibility of mobile phones used as a tool for financial solutions associated with payment systems.
The companies announced that they will attack together some segments of the Central American market.
According to Ericsson's Phone Account manager, Mats Malmstrom, the company "expects an expansion of its Central and Latin American portfolio in 2009, in association with corporations such as Movistar, and offering solutions to users of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) ".
Mobile phones, the strongest sector for the regional economy, registered a decline in earnings in 2008.
El Periódico reported on its website: "While América Móvil added 1 million new customers in Central America in 2008, revenues from its subsidiaries in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua fell by 3.4 % and its profits were reduced by 26.6%.
They produce 28 percent of the GDP in the area. Their performance sets the pace for economic activity and industry trends.
Mexican America Movil and Arkansas giant Wal-Mart are, without a doubt, the two biggest stars in the ranking, evidencing the significant activity in telecommunications and retail sales in the region.
With a growth of 42%, the Carlos Slim company was ranked first place among Big Companies, and reach US$3.4 billion in 2007, leaving behind....
Telefonica will launch the Apple 3G terminal, iPhone, on August 22, making it initially available in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru and Uruguay.
The Director for Telefonica Latin America, Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete, pointed out that the company hopes that the iPhone will have the "same success" in Latin America as it has enjoyed in countries such as Spain, the UK and Ireland.