Telecom enabled the first 5g sites on the Personal mobile network

Buenos Aires, February 7, 2021. Telecom turned on the first 5G network in Argentina, putting into operation 10 Personal mobile antennas to use this service with suitable devices, in the cities of Buenos Aires and Rosario.
In this way, the company continues to promote the evolution of the industry to offer Argentines the latest technology in mobile connectivity.

In the words of the CEO of Telecom, Roberto Nobile, “2020 was a pivotal year for the whole world, in which it was demonstrated that the future is built on information technology. At Telecom, we faced the current situation and did our best to keep Argentines connected and thus be able to continue working, studying and entertaining themselves from their homes. We invested heavily to make Personal the best 4G network in the country. Now we take a step beyond connectivity by turning on the first 5G network in Argentina.

This technology is the future of our industry, and it will also drive the country's growth and the development of essential infrastructure for the digital economy. With 5G technology, the country's economy will gain competitiveness, which is vital because companies will define their investments based on the availability of this technology. For Argentina to enter this new era, the information technology industry needs to continue investing intensively and developing freely and in competition. A modern and stable regulation is needed, which favors the evolution of technologies, and encourages investments by innovative companies, such as Telecom, which has maintained its commitment to the country in recent decades. "

Meanwhile, the first five mobile sites in the city of Buenos Aires with Huawei technology; and five sites with Nokia technology in the city of Rosario, already have the first advances in fifth generation networks, through Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (' DSS '). This technology is leveraged on the current 4G network to 'turn on' 5G accesses dynamically and on demand, which enable capable 5G devices to connect to said networks. The fifth generation technological solution requires essential regulatory definitions for the complete provision of services, such as dedicated spectrum.

Personal customers who have suitable terminals and are close to the enabled sites will begin to experience the first spreads of the fifth generation of mobile technology. The 5G network will offer great opportunities for the development of the IoT (internet of things) thanks to its main characteristics: high response speed (100 times higher than browsing the 4G network), low latency and multiplicity of devices connected at the same time .

Just as 4G technology transformed the world of mobile data, the 5G standard will go even further allowing speeds of 10Gbps, greater capacity of connected devices, coverage and features than the current LTE-4G / 4.5G. Smart cities, internet of things, connected homes and cars, home automation and artificial intelligence are some of the innovations that will allow 5G technology to expand in the coming years.

5G, by itself, is an enabler. A platform upon which new services, use cases and ecosystems will emerge that, taken together, have the potential to change the world. The possibilities associated with fifth generation networks are closer than ever. Only with investment can we enter the future and continue to provide the best connectivity to Argentines.

First to carry out 5G demos Telecom has been a pioneer in experimenting with 5G technology, preparing for when the technical and regulatory conditions necessary for the full deployment of the service are in place. For three years the company has been carrying out different tests to make tangible the possibilities that the fifth generation of mobile phones will bring. Preparation not only requires 'turning on' 5G base stations: for a good service, the current 4G network is being improved both in coverage, availability and capacity. Today the 4G network has coverage in 95% of the country's surface and its 4.5G upgrade is active in 100% of the 4G network.

In 2018, a laboratory test was carried out with Nokia, while in 2019 public demonstrations were held in the City of Buenos Aires and Córdoba with Huawei.

ABOUT TELECOM
We are Telecom Argentina, a connectivity and entertainment solutions company with more than 23,000 employees throughout the country. We transform the digital experience of our more than 29 million customers by offering them a secure, flexible and dynamic service, on all their devices, with high-speed fixed and mobile connections, and a live and on-demand content platform that integrates series, movies, gaming, music and TV shows. Through our trademarks Personal, Fibertel, Flow and Telecom | Fibercorp, we provide fixed and mobile telephony, data transmission, pay television and Internet services for individuals, companies and institutions throughout the country. In addition, we are present in Paraguay with mobile service and in Uruguay, with pay television. We lead an industry that constitutes one of the pillars for the social and economic development of the country, and we actively participate in the community with sustainable practices and initiatives that add value to the use of technology as a tool for training and social inclusion.