Colombian Government Aiming to Sell its Stake in a Leading Telco
Colombia determines internet access to be an essential service
Broadband subscribers in Colombia are heavily concentrated in the major cities, with Bogotá, Risaralda, and Antioquia having the highest penetration rates. Within each city there is also concentration amongst operators. Some cities have historical incumbent telcos which have retained their dominance: EPM controls about 90% of broadband lines in Medellin, for example. Penetration in the Amazonian departments of Guainía, Guaviare, Vaupés, and Vichada, by contrast, is no higher than 2%.
Investment in fibre has helped push up average data rates in recent years: the average fixed broadband download speed increased 82.4% in 2020, year-on-year, to 34.4Mb/s across all technologies. As of June 2021, the average fixed broadband download speed was 55.1Mb/s, showing a 98.2% increase year-on-year.
While broadband speeds are increasing, there remains concern about availability in rural areas. The government has endeavoured to address this with a number of public programs. An amendment to legislation made in August 2021 determined that the internet was an essential and universal public service, akin to access to water and electricity. This has stimulated local authorities to expedite the delivery of fixed and mobile broadband services. More recently, the government reiterated its commitment to the National Development Plan by which it would deliver broadband to 70% of households by the end of 2022.
Table of Contents
Companies Mentioned
- Claro (Telmex Colombia/Comcel)
- Movistar
- TigoUne (Tigo Colombia, UNE-EPM)
- Avantel
- DirecTV
- Uff! Móvil
- Metrotel
- Emcali
- Virgin Mobile
- Móvil Éxito
- Edatel
- Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Santa Fe de Bogotá (ETB)
- Setroc
