The largest Chilean telecommunications company Entel reached an agreement with Ericsson which will pave the way for the launch of 5G and IoT services.

Brazilian telecommunications company Embratel is using Wi-Fi 6 technology for projects in several segments, such as industry and retail, with plans to expand into healthcare and finance as well, said local media reports.

TIM Brasil activated 5G DSS networks in three cities of the Northeast, namely Fortaleza (Ceara), Recife (Pernambuco), and Salvador (Bahia).

Brazil’s much-delayed 5G spectrum auction has been moved a few times. Recent adjustments involved an auction late last year, after which June and July this year were among dates mooted. Now the dates have changed again.

Announced last May, the purchase of Vogel Telecom by compatriot telecommunications provider Algar Telecom received an unrestricted approval report by Brazilian regulator Cade's General Superintendence (SG).

The telecommunications and media company Millicom which provides cable and mobile services in Latin America under the Tigo brand has announced the launch of ONEtv on Android TV (Google) in the markets where it operates in the region.

There have been a number of interesting recent telecoms-related announcements from Colombia, where 5G, remote connectivity and satcoms for humanitarian purposes are all in the news.

Vivo, the Brazilian subsidiary of Telefónica Group, has selected Netcracker Technology for the next stage in its ongoing digital transformation program.

Mexico’s rural communities are about to get a connectivity boost thanks to two satcoms-related businesses – ST Engineering iDirect and AXESS Networks – working alongside Altan, a major local operator.

Argentina is in the subsea cable news again. Late last week wholesale telecom service provider GlobeNet’s new subsea cable system Malbec, which connects Argentina and Brazil, was launched.

Colombia’s WOM announced that it has connected its 700MHz 4G network to 525 previously unserved rural areas.

America Movil's Claro Uruguay unit began technical tests in 5G in the 28 GHz band in the country after receiving authorization from the Communication Services Regulatory Unit (URSEC).

Claro Argentina, a part of the América Móvil group, has partnered with DOCOMO Digital, the integrator of digital app stores, to facilitate the purchase of applications and content with direct carrier billing (DCB), within the Samsung Galaxy Store, using Claro's pre-paid or post-paid accounts.

Google has announced plans to build Firmina, an open subsea cable that will run from the East Coast of the United States to Las Toninas, Argentina, with additional landings in Praia Grande, Brazil and Punta del Este, Uruguay.

Venezuela’s fixed-line teledensity was relatively high for the region before the steady growth in the number of lines came to an end in 2015. Since then, the number of lines has plummeted, and by late 2020 teledensity had fallen to about 18.6%.

Cuba’s telecom sector remains a peculiarity, with state control having stymied rather than promoted the development of all sectors.

Colombia’s national spectrum agency (ANE) sanctioned Avantel, a telecommunications company based in Mexico City, for the illegal use of WOM's spectrum.

Telit, a global enabler of the Internet of Things (IoT), has expanded its partnership with Hi-Mix Eletrônicos S/A, a Brazilian Electronic Manufacturing Service (EMS) provider, for the production of LTE modules.

Peru’s government has implemented a new law requiring operators to guarantee a minimum connection speed of 70% of the contracted rate – an increase of 30%.

With a population approaching 125 million and with relatively low broadband and mobile penetration, Mexico’s telecom sector retains significant potential for growth.

A major drawback for Paraguay’s telecom sector is that the country is landlocked, making it dependent on neighbouring countries for interconnection with submarine cable networks.

Peru’s Programa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Pronatel), has awarded Gilat Satellite Networks, a leader in satellite networking technology, solutions and services, a $13 million contract for the delivery of internet services to hundreds of sites in Peru.

UFINET, a neutral infrastructure wholesale operator in Latin America, has announced its selection of ICE6 800G coherent technology from Infinera, a global supplier of open optical networking solutions, for its new national long-haul network in Colombia.

More tower deals have been announced in what has become an increasingly busy market for both buyers and sellers. The latest two deals involve American Tower Corporation (ATC) buying in Latin America and Airtel Africa selling in Tanzania.

Brazilian regional ISP Mob Telecom has  announced an agreement with Angola Cables, a multinational operator in the fibre optic telecommunications sector, to strengthen its data centre offering.

Brazilian mobile market leader Telefonica Brasil (Vivo) performed tests with Amazon Web Services (AWS) for the native operation of the core of a 5G standalone (5G SA) network in the cloud, and the results were validated for the performance parameters of a 5G SA network.

Brazil's statutory bodies have approved the Provisional Measure (MP) to cut fees for satellite services to make access to broadband internet cheap.

Mexico Telecom Partners (MTP), which is among the largest private tower companies in Mexico, may be up for sale.

The developer-owner-operator of submarine fiber optic cable systems Seaborn Networks and the broadband network operator in Brazil Webby Internet have formed a connectivity partnership.

The general shareholders of the Colombian operator WOM Colombia have agreed to proceed with a merger by absorption of mobile operator Avantel within 3 to 4 months, said a special merger notification from the Chilean telecommunication group.

Telefónica Movistar and DIRECTV reached an agreement through which Movistar acquires and assumes the operation of DIRECTV's Internet services in Colombia.