Thursday, September 27, 2018

 

Brief: Eastern Caribbean nations to launch number portability – Regional

Indotel interested in Brazil’s spectrum auctions, digital TV – Brazil, Dominican R.

LTE to account for 36% of all LatAm connections by end-2018 – Regional

ICT: The week in 10 stories – Regional
Our Mission “Influence the innovation and development of ICT solutions for the benefit of members by developing, navigating and leveraging relationships with all stakeholders.” “Advocate for policies, legislation and rules which advance the creation of an environment which facilitates the deployment of services and technologies around the region.”
Vision “To become the leading authority in shaping information, communication and technology in the Caribbean Region and the Americas.”

 

Brief: Eastern Caribbean nations to launch number portability – Regional

The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (Ectel), the telecoms association for five Caribbean nations, agreed to launch local number portability in those countries starting on November 19, according to a statement published in local media.

The associations’ member states are Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

“The launch of local number portability across the Ectel region will give consumers the flexibility to move their fixed and mobile voice services to the provider that best meets their needs. Consumers can focus on issues such as quality of service and price to help them to choose a provider. The availability of local number portability will therefore enhance competition across the fixed and mobile sectors across the Ectel region,” the statement read.

Indotel interested in Brazil’s spectrum auctions, digital TV – Brazil, Dominican R.

The Dominican Republic’s telecoms regulator Indotel is interested in the Brazilian format for radio frequency spectrum auctions, including modelling and pricing, as well as in the Brazilian digital TV implementation process.

After delays, the Dominican Republic is due to kick off its digital TV switchover in 2019, which is expected to free up 107MHz in the 700Mhz band for the development of 4G services. Dominican Republic is mostly interested in the Brazilian process, since the digital TV technology chosen was the US standard ATSC rather than the Japanese-Brazilian ISDB-T system.

Indotel head Luís Molina met on Wednesday in Brasília with his Brazilian counterpart Juarez Quadros, from Anatel, to learn more about the Brazilian experience, Anatel said in a release. Indotel’s technical delegation included Carlos Cepada, spectrum manager, and Paola Roa, dispatch coordinator, among others.

 

LTE to account for 36% of all LatAm connections by end-2018 – Regional

LTE technology is expected to reach some 258mn accesses in Latin America, or 36% of all mobile connections in the region by the end of this year, according to forecasts by 5G Americas based on data provided by consultancy Ovum.

There was a total of 697mn mobile wireless subscriptions in the region in June, 241mn of which were via LTE (+52% year-on-year). Some 82mn new LTE connections were added between June 2017 and June 2018, said 5G Americas.

By the end of 2022, LTE is forecast to reach 504mn connections in Latin America (including M2M), which would be a 64% share of the total.

Worldwide, LTE grew by more than 1bn connections in the 12-month period to June 2018, with growth of 43% to total 3.6bn LTE connections. This meant that the LTE market share globally reached 42.3% at the end of June.

North America (US and Canada) remains the world region with the largest proportion of LTE connections at 77%, followed by Oceania, Eastern and Southeastern Asia at 64% and Western Europe at 48%.

ICT: The week in 10 stories – Regional

A controversial proposal to merge Colombia’s telecommunications and TV regulators has resurfaced in a new bill to modernize the ICT sector.

CHILE

Telco Grupo Gtd has proposed building a 3,500km submarine fiber optic cable linking the country’s north and south, and doubling current installed capacity.

PERU

Telecom regulator Osiptel says it will block 1mn cell phones with invalid international mobile equipment identities (IMEIs) by the end of November.

PARAGUAY

Paraguay is planning to invest US$13-15mn in connecting public buildings via a national fiber network.

BRAZIL

Telecom Italia, parent of telco TIM Brasil, is considering bidding for Nextel Brasil, the last-standing Latin American operation of US telecom group NII Holdings, according to a Bloomberg report.

The science, technology, innovation and communications ministry will activate 16 satellite internet points in the Pacaraima region, in Roraima state on the border with Venezuela.

Brazil and Chile are advancing talks to end roaming fees for citizens who travel between the two countries, newspaper La Tercera reported.

REGIONAL

IBM is working to bring artificial intelligence solutions to industries ranging from agribusiness and mining to electric power distribution in Latin America, in search of improving process efficiency.

Spanish telecom group Telefónica reshuffled and relaunched its Wayra startup acceleration platform.

VENEZUELA

Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro announced plans to launch a fourth satellite, named Guaicaipuro, providing telecommunications services.

The information presented and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of CANTO and/or its members