Telefonica is reportedly considering to buy troubled Brazilian operator Oi’s broadband unit as part of expansion plans in Brazil. 

Last week saw operator Claro Peru inaugurate what it calls the most modern Tier III data centre in the country to meet the growing demand from the country’s companies and public entities to bring many of their processes, virtual infrastructure, processing and storage capacity to the cloud.

Mexico-based It and telecoms firm Axtel secured a US$60 million loan form the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, as part of plans to expand its fibre network, tower footprint and data centres.

Colombia’s telecoms regulator confirmed four operators will compete at auction for 5G spectrum. 

Liberty Latin America (LLA) subsidiary Liberty Networks has partnered with Gold Data to create a pan-regional subsea cable system connecting the US and Mexico to Colombia and Panama by combining two cable projects.

Globalsat Group, a provider of mission-critical satellite and wireless connectivity solutions is partnering with satellite network operator Rivada Space Networks to provide access to a next-generation data network for customers in the energy, government, NGO, agriculture, utilities and transportation sectors throughout the Americas and beyond.

Caribbean and Central America-based mobile operator Digicel revealed former Inmarsat and Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri will take the reins as Chairman Designate from the company’s Founder Denis O’Brien.

Analyst company Canalys reported the smartphone market is showing signs of recovery predicting a lower decline in 2023, and growth will be pushed by emerging markets next year. 

Scala Data Centers, a Latin American sustainable data centre platform leader in the hyperscale market, has announced a new issuance of what are called green debentures. They are worth US$ 215 million and will mature in six years.

Leading Argentine commercial airline Aerolíneas Argentinas has selected Intelsat, operator of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network, to provide multi-orbit in-flight connectivity service on 18 Airbus A330 and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Bahamas Telecommunications Company vice chairman Valentine Grimes said a portion of the cash raised by parent company Liberty Latin America in its recent tower deal, could be used to deploy 5G in the Bahamas. 

It looks like Colombia’s 5G spectrum auction is still on course to take place on 20 December, as stated by the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications (Ministerio de Tecnologias de la Informacion y las Comunicaciones, MinTIC) in June.

Liberty Latin America (LLA) tapped voice security company Hiya to launch call protection software for subscribers in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. 

Liberty Latin America (LLA) will sell 1,300 mobile tower sites across Panama and various Caribbean islands to independent tower company Phoenix Tower International (PTI) in a deal valued at $407 million.

Argentinean service provider Telecentro is deploying Netcracker’s Digital OSS to advance its operations automation and deliver new use cases across its operations.

Satellite internet service Starlink, from rocket manufacturer SpaceX, has won a tender from Mexico's state energy firm to provide services until the end of December 2026, according to Reuters.

Liberty Latin America (LLA) has struck a deal with Dish Network to acquire Dish’s spectrum assets in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands (USVI) for US$256 million in cash, as well as international roaming credits.

Liberty Networks says it successfully deployed free space optics technology from Taara to connect the Caribbean islands of St. Martin and Anguilla during a cable outage.

Digital infrastructure and technology provider Cirion Technologies has announced the expansion of its carrier-neutral data centre complex in São Paulo (known as SAO1) with a new 3,600 square-metre building, increasing total capacity by 50%.

Millicom International Cellular (MIC), a leading provider of fixed and mobile telecommunication services in Latin America, has signalled the start of plans to transfer its tower assets to its new tower company, Lati.

Telecom Argentina is set to receive agreed loans totalling US$120 million for upgrades to its fibre optic network, and expand mobile coverage and capacity. 

Three telecommunications companies have been awarded 20-year licences to develop 5G in Argentina, after bids for spectrum that netted over US$875 million for the government.

The Chilean government has signed an agreement with development bank CAF to begin feasibility studies for an undersea fibre cable linking it to the Antarctic.

Brazil’s minister of communications, Juscelino Filho, has signed into  law the ConectaBR programme, whose aim is to improve the quality and coverage of mobile broadband.

Chinese equipment vendor ZTE announced it it will supply equipment to Claro Ecuador to extend its fibre network. 

Jamaica’s Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) has selected Nokia to deploy the first private wireless network at its container terminal. The network was installed and will be deployed by Nokia Channel Partner EGC International.

Chilean regulator Subtel has published the outline of a new 5G public tender that, it says, “seeks to continue providing better connectivity to the country and be a contribution to the reduction of the digital divide”.

Argentina’s communications regulator Enacom has confirmed the country's planned upcoming 5G spectrum auction for 24 October and suggested it will raise about US$1.05 billion.

Paraguay is the latest market in which Starlink has procured a licence for satellite broadband.

In yet another reminder of the opportunities for private 5G in multiple industries, John Deere, a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, construction, and forestry equipment, has outlined plans to launch its first private 5G network in a new factory in Brazil later this year.