Digital infrastructure company Equinix has announced a US$45 million investment in Colombia for the construction of BG2, a new international business exchange data centre in Bogotá, scheduled to open in the first half of 2023.

In the latest 5G partnership with a focus on the potential of private networks, technological solutions provider Entel says it is set to accelerate the digital transformation of industry in Chile thanks to a new 5G standalone (SA) deal with Ericsson.

American Tower Corporation has tapped Nokia deploy a neutral fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network in Argentina.

Free Caraibe, which provides telecom services across the French Antilles, has been fined by French regulator ARCEP (Autorite de Regulation des Communications Electroniques et des Postes) for failing to meet deployment requirements across several of its markets.

Brazil’s Algar Telecom has selected Infinera to modernise and scale its subsea network infrastructure.

The president of Mexico’s Communications and Transportation Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, Víctor Manuel Perez Diaz, has called for spectrum prices to be lowered to facilitate the country’s deployment of 5G.

Apple was again fined for selling iPhones without chargers in Brazil, this time by the Sao Paulo state court to the tune of BRL100 million (US$19m), reported Reuters.

Brazilian regulator Anatel ruled that Telefonica can expand mobile coverage in underserved locations instead of slapping its local unit Vivo a fine to the tune of BRL45.2 million (US$8.5m).

A lively debate has opened up over Chilean regulator Subtel’s decision to reduce the amount of spectrum it had originally earmarked for Wi-Fi, delighting mobile industry group the GSMA but upsetting Wi-Fi proponents like the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA), which promotes and showcases the value of spectrum sharing.

Uruguay’s Senate has approved new legislation that will end the fixed broadband monopoly held by state-owned telco Antel.

Telefonica Brasil (Vivo), Claro and TIM have signalled intentions to launch court proceedings against bankrupt rival Oi, for allegedly breaching contractual terms of the deal for Oi’s mobile assets, reported CommsUpdate.

The proposed merger of VTR and Claro Chile has been cleared by Chile’s FNE (Fiscalia Nacional Economica / National Economic Prosecutor).

Hard on the heels of the announcement of the official inauguration of its new office in Hyderabad, wireless technology company Silicon Labs has told local media that it plans to take its India office headcount to 1,500 professionals by 2025.

After blocking the sale of NuevaTel PCS in August, Bolivian regulator ATT (Autoridad de Regulacion y Fiscalizacion de Telecomunicaciones y Transportes) has now threatened to revoke the mobile operator’s licence.

Plintron, which describes itself as the world's largest multi-country mobile virtual network aggregator / enabler (MVNA / MVNE) with a client base in six continents, has announced plans to launch its services in Chile this year, enabling Chilean brands to offer mobile services.

Mexico’s telecoms workers union rejected the latest proposals offered by operator Telmex to resolve strike action, potentially continuing the long-running industrial action against the operator, reported Reuters.

C&W Networks, a wholesale telecommunications service provider, says it is leveraging  the GeoMesh Extreme product from networking systems, services and software company Ciena to upgrade its CFX-1 (Colombia-Florida Express) and EWC (East West Cable) submarine cable networks to deliver advanced broadband and IP services of up to 400Gb/s.

In the country’s latest initiative to improve fixed line connectivity for its population, Argentinian telecommunications regulator Enacom has approved funding for a programme to provide broadband internet in houses built and financed by the state.

Another private network has been launched in Brazil with the announcement from communications and IT services provider Speedcast that it has deployed advanced connectivity via a private LTE network powered by Nokia for a Brazilian energy integrator.

Amazon has announced plans for its Mexico cloud unit to open a local zone early next year in what is, by many accounts, a fast-growing cloud services market in that country.

Following the recent announcement that Nokia and AT&T Mexico have deployed what they call the first industrial-grade LTE private network in a maritime terminal in the country, there’s been another private network announcement in Latin America – this time in Brazil and using 5G.

A deal that was close to being done and dusted months ago may face a new period of uncertainty, with Brazilian operators TIM, Vivo and Claro apparently requesting a reduction in the price they are expected to pay for the mobile division of beleaguered telecommunications company Oi.

Brazil-based company Neko had its 5G licence waivered after the company requested to vacate its holdings of airwaves in the 26GHz band.

Satcoms giant Hughes has again been involved in deals that will deliver remote connectivity, this time in both India and Costa Rica.

There may be more regulatory issues for the online giants to deal with, this time in Mexico where Google and Apple have been the target of accusations of uncompetitive behaviour.

Brazilian newcomer Winity Telecom has signed a six-year deal with Amdocs to support its deployment of 4G and 5G networks across remote rural areas of Brazil.

A long-running dispute over unused spectrum in and around the 3500MHz band in Costa Rica appears to be at an end after an agreement this week between the government and the state utility that owned the spectrum.

Telefonica Moviles (Movistar) has commenced its rollout of a 5G-ready network in El Salvador.

A spectrum auction in Guatemala in the mid-2.5GHZ band, delayed for a number of years, is, apparently, set to go ahead.

BICS, an international connectivity enabler, and satellite-direct-to-phone telecoms company Lynk Global, have signed an agreement to enable mobile network operators (MNOs) to expand mobile coverage to people in remote areas around the world.

Smartphone shipments for Latin America declined 2.5% year-on-year to 32.2 million units in Q2 but proved to be a bright spot as the global smartphone market collectively dropped 9%.

Argentina’s sell-off of unused 4G spectrum in the 2600MHz band has raised US$27.7 million for the country’s National Communications Agency ENACOM (Ente Nacional de Comunicaciones).