How Colombian operators are advancing with 5G deployments

Colombia's main 5G licensed carriers are moving forward with network roll-outs faster than expected, having already met the coverage goals stipulated for the whole of 2024.

That is according to ICT minister Mauricio Lizcano, who was speaking during the Andicom event in Cartagena.

Lizcano said 50% more 5G radio base stations have been installed compared to the goal established in the commitments stipulated for this year. 

Considering all technologies, Colombia has 29,523 antennas installed, of which 5,422 are in Bogotá, 3,883 in Antioquia and 2,949 in Valle del Cauca, among the most connected regions, according to a ministry database.

Spectrum agency ANE recently told local daily El Colombiano that there are 1,057 5G antennas installed in the country. If this is the case, 5G would represent 3.5% of Colombia's total wireless sites. 

In terms of access, Colombia had 700,000 5G connections by end-March out of 45 million total mobile internet accesses, according to the same database. 

The formal deployment of 5G in the country kicked off in February, about two months after the spectrum auction for the technology that saw Claro, Tigo-Movistar, WOM and Telecall coming out as winners.

CLARO

América Móvil’s Claro is looking to deploy 400 5G sites from Nokia, its selected network vendor, in 14 new cities during this half.

By the end of H1, the telco said it had completed the first stage of its 5G deployment with the activation of 1,000 sites in six of Colombia’s largest cities. According to the ICT ministry, the telco has 964 sites in total. 

In either case, Claro accounts for over 90% of all 5G antennas installed in the country.

Claro was also Colombia’s first telco to launch residential internet over the 5G network, also known as fixed-wireless access (FWA).

TIGO-MOVISTAR

The Tigo-Movistar duo – the companies signed an alliance to share the 5G network – has 93 radio base stations deployed in the country, according to the ministry, covering the main cities.

Under the 5G auction rules, for the first year of operations, departmental capitals with more than 500,000 inhabitants should be connected with at least one site for every 100,000 people by the 5G-licensed carriers.

ANE head Sergio Sotomayor told El Colombiano that this figure was exceeded and that in some cities there is already more than one station for each mobile operator.

In the meantime, Tigo has been advancing its 4G coverage.

According to the company, its 700MHz 4G antennas now reach 1,174 rural communities, many of them having access to mobile internet for the first time.

In the first half of 2024, the telco said it reached 172 new locations in 20 departments and 84 municipalities.

TELECALL

Telecall also planned to deploy more antennas than required by the spectrum auction obligations, as Bruno Ajuz, the telco’s senior VP and co-founder, told BNamericas in April.

The Brazilian firm was targeting over 420 sites installed by the end of the year, although its obligation would be only 213, the executive said. 

However, the company has not provided updates on the deployment, which seems to have not yet begun.

Telecall’s business plan for 5G in Colombia foresees 1,614 sites, reaching 1mn users, in 2025; 3,081 sites and 2mn users by the end of the following year; and 4,108 sites and 3mn users at end-2027.

As part of its 5G auction obligations, Telecall is committed to connecting 343 schools and deploying 11 antennas with at least 4G technology on highways.

WOM

WOM Colombia, currently facing a bankruptcy protection process like its sister company WOM Chile, still has no records of deployed 5G sites.

In an interview with BNamericas in January, prior to its bankruptcy filing, CEO Ramiro Lafarga said that after the 5G auction the company planned to continue expanding in the country.

“This involves the deployment of 5G technology, the obligations established by the ICT ministry, as well as strengthening the 4G network to provide increasing connectivity and better service to our users," Lafarga said in the interview.

“To achieve this, resources amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars are projected for these coming years, which will come from financing sources such as our parent company and from local and international banks,” he added.

“As part of the 5G spectrum payment, we will invest more than 318 billion pesos [US$74mn], which will involve coverage along 14 roads and for 318 educational institutions in 77 municipalities.”

This article was originally published on September 12