Colombia Telecom Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023-2028)

The Colombian telecom market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 0.8% over the next five years. Key telecom companies, such as Claro Colombia, Movistar Colombia, Virgin Mobile Colombia, Telefonica Colombia, and Tigo Colombia, are based in Colombia and promote innovation by making significant R&D investments consistently.

Key Highlights

• The transition to 3G and 4G is still rising in the country due to expanding new networks and increasing demand for high-speed connectivity services. For instance, WOM invested USD 50 million for a 4G rollout that provides connectivity services to 525 unserved rural locations.
• 5G services still need to be fully deployed in Colombia, but key telecom operators have completed 5G demonstrations and trials over the past two years. In the future, all the customers will slowly migrate from 3G and 4G networks to the 5G network. For instance, Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogota (ETB) partnered with ZTE to launch a 5G trial.
• Colombia's telecom industry made further strides in expanding its network capacity with fiber and wireless deployments. For instance, Millicom International Cellular (MIC) deploys an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) architecture. The rollout will be carried out in partnership with Parallel Wireless to deliver 4G service coverage at 362 rural sites.
• Fibre broadband penetration will grow over the next five years. For instance, Claro invested USD 25 million to bring fiber optics services to 20 localities and expand coverage in other remote areas. Such investments will further increase the demand for Fibre broadband services.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, the telecom industry showed sustainable growth in deploying the 4G network. During the coming year, the telecom industry will likely experience an increase in the adoption of the 5G network. It may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards the 5G network is expected to impact the market's growth positively.

Colombia Telecom Market Trends

Rising demand for Fixed Broadband Services

• The increase in FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) broadband services will positively drive the growth of the telecom market. For instance, Telefonica Colombia's (Movistar) FTTH network reached the milestone of one million homes. Movistar FTTH network is expected to pass 1.2 million homes by the end of the current year.
• For instance, Claro Colombia invested USD25 million to connect an additional 20 municipalities to its fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network. Such initiatives will bring new growth opportunities for the telecom market.
• Colombian telecom players are expanding their network capacity with wireless deployments. For instance, Eurona will provide free wifi coverage to users of the Medellin metro in Colombia. Wifi service is available in the airports of Bogota (El Dorado), Cartagena de Indias (Rafael Nunez), and Pereira (Matecana).
• Fixed broadband penetration is expected to increase during the forecast period, driven by ongoing efforts by the government to expand fixed broadband coverage and services across the country, particularly in rural areas. According to the Ookla Speedtest Global Index, Colombia ranked 41st with a median fixed broadband download speed of 87.24 Mbps this October.

Rising demand for OTT and PayTv Services

• The revenue from PayTV services is anticipated to drop in the next five years due to a steady decline in DTH subscriptions and emerging competition from OTT service providers.
• For instance, Telefonica Colombia (Movistar) signed an agreement with DirecTV to acquire the group’s 4G broadband assets in Colombia. DirecTV serves approximately 200,000 internet clients in Colombia, of which 60% have their service packaged with a TV subscription.
• Increasing mobile subscribers will significantly increase the demand for OTT (over-the-top) services. OTT service providers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ offer customers subscription on-demand videos (SVOD), thus creating new growth opportunities for the telecom market.
• According to the Ookla Speedtest Global Index, Colombia ranked 104th with a median mobile download speed of 10.99 Mbps this October. OTT services will further increase mobile data consumption.
• During the COVID-19 outbreak, people adopted work-from-home practices and spent more time watching videos, games, and other forms of entertainment at home. Thus, OTT service providers offering on-demand videos will further drive the market's growth.

Colombia Telecom Market Competitor Analysis

The Colombian telecom market is moderately fragmented due to ongoing partnerships and recent advancements in the market. Some major players in the market studied include Claro Colombia, Movistar Colombia, Virgin Mobile Colombia, Telefonica Colombia, and Tigo Colombia.

In January 2022, Avantel announced its plans to switch off its IDEN (Integrated Digital Enhanced Network) network.

In July 2022, Tigo Colombia entered into a new network access agreement with Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogota (ETB). The deal will be able to offer Tigo-branded fixed broadband, fixed voice, and pay-TV services to residential and small business customers using ETB’s fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network, which covers 1.5 million homes in Bogota.

Additional benefits of purchasing the report:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

This product will be delivered within 2 business days.