Uruguay’s Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining confirmed that the long-awaited launch of mobile number portability officially came into force on 12^th January.

Mobile operator Entel Peru has got together with network intelligence and security-as-a-service (SECaaS) solutions provider Allot to protect mobile network users from cyberattacks.

Arsat, Argentina’s state-owned satellite company, is to run a 289 million peso (about $2.8 million) project to provide connectivity for free internet access in towns across the country.

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) of the Bahamas has floated the possibility of introducing a third player to the market this year in its proposed Annual Plan for 2022.

The new year has seen another multi-country roaming agreement come into effect as residents of Andean Community countries see roaming charges abolished.

El Salvador’s competition watchdog has ruled that the sale of Telefonica’s Movistar and Telefonica Multiservicios units to General International Telecom Limited requires no antitrust authorisation.

Chinese fibre provider Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable (YOFC) is entering the broadband market in four Peruvian regions. It will use digital enablement expert Alepo’s BSS/OSS solution.

Argentina’s ongoing problem with hyperinflation continues to distort the telecom market’s performance, which shows strong growth in revenue but only modest gains in subscriber numbers each year.

Although El Salvador is the smallest country in central America geographically, it has the fourth largest economy in the region. Economic potential is limited by the relatively small population, while the country’s telecom sector has been restricted by poor infrastructure and unequal income distribution.

Argentina's Camara de Cooperativas de Telecomunicaciones (Chamber of Telecommunications Cooperatives, or Catel) has announced that Imowi, its MVNO service, will launch on 20 January 2022.

A proposed subsea internet cable that would be designed to connect Chile and Australia came closer this week with the appointment by the Chilean government of a partner in the project. 

Responding to what is described as a surge in demand for high-quality fibre broadband services, service provider Digicel, which serves consumer and business customers in 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and Pacific, has modernized its FTTx network across the Caribbean Islands.

Chile's telecommunications regulator Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones de Chile (Subtel) announced that Movistar (Telefonica), Entel, and WOM have activated their fifth-generation networks in the country around 10 months after acquiring 5G-compatible frequencies.

Brazilian telecommunications operator Algar Telecom has launched a commercial Non-Standalone (NSA) 5G service using its newly acquired 2.3GHz spectrum.

Leading Colombian fibre optic networks service provider Integra Multisolutions (IMS) is to use SES’s satellite-based trunking services to enable it to extend and enhance fibre-like connectivity for Colombian municipalities with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants located out of the reach of terrestrial infrastructure.

Operator AT&T Mexico has announced the start of deployment of its 5G network in the country. It also says it has plans to connect the first 50 mobile devices to the network, in order, it suggests, to test the browsing experience.

Brazilian regulator Anatel (Agencia Nacional de Telecomunicacoes / National Telecommunications Agency) has confirmed that the country’s government has authorised the 700MHz, 2.3GHz, 3.5GHz and 26GHz spectrum bands for 5G use.

Chilean regulator Subtel and the regional government of Ñuble in southern Chile have signed an agreement for a fibre optic and last mile programme.

Mexico’s MCM Telecom has announced a collaboration with Telia Carrier that will see its customers in Querétaro benefit from Telia Carrier’s number one ranked global backbone, AS1299.

Data centres and the cloud are again in the news in Latin America thanks to announcements from Google in Chile and Codisa in El Salvador.

Altice Dominicana has begun deploying its 3.5GHz 5G network in the Dominican Republic.

Ahead of the nationwide introduction of Mobile Number Portability (MNP), Uruguay’s mobile operators have signed contracts with the appointed MNP database administrator.

What does the purchase earlier this month of nearly 96 percent of Mexican facilities-based telecommunications provider Maxcom Telecomunicaciones by US-headquartered digital infrastructure service provider Transtelco mean for the Mexican fibre market?

Cable Bahamas (REV) has confirmed that it will upgrade its legacy HFC cable infrastructure with fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) technology on the Bahamas’ most populous island of New Providence.

Colombia’s ICT ministry, MinTIC Colombia, has indicated that it is planning to publish a draft decree for public consultation on issues relating to spectrum and next-generation technology.

ALTAN Redes has been declared bankrupt by the Seventh Judge in Civil Matters of Mexico City.

Brazilian regional operator Brisanet will start the rollout of its 5G network in the second half of 2023.

IHS Towers has closed its acquisition of a 51% stake in FiberCo Solucoes de Infraestrutura from TIM Brasil for BRL1.096 billion (US$198.9 million).

Satellite firm Viasat is partnering with Intercorp Peru to expand digital and social inclusion across Latin America.

Costa Rican regulator Sutel (Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones) has explained to the country’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications (MICITT) that it will not offer compensation for the 5G frequencies that it plans to appropriate from Grupo ICE.

Millicom International Cellular, a telecommunications and media company which is a provider of fixed and mobile services dedicated to markets in Latin America, has signed an agreement to gain full control of Tigo Guatemala by acquiring the remaining 45% stake from its local joint venture partner in a $2.2 billion all-cash deal.

Hard on the heels of its takeover of Inmarsat, global communications company Viasat has underlined the diversity of its markets and offerings with two very different deals in Ghana and Peru.