By Juan Pedro Tomás October 23, 2024
Collected at: https://www.rcrwireless.com/20241023/spectrum/argentina-make-available-additional-spectrum-5g-services
5G penetration in Argentina is expected to reach 9% by 2025 while it would expand to 48% by 2030, according to the GSMA
The Argentina government confirmed it will make available additional frequencies for the provision of 5G services. The presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni stated that the government will award the 100 megahertz of spectrum that had been previously reserved for state company Arsat for mobile communications, as well as 50 megahertz that are in the hands of telecommunications services regulator Enacom.
Although Adorni did not provide further details on how the government will award the frequencies, the decision would concern spectrum in the 3.5 GHz spectrum band.
Recently, both the innovation secretariat and Arsat said they were working with the aim of evaluating the future of the spectrum that the company has in disuse. According to Adorni, the provision of these additional frequencies will allow for the promotion of investments to improve telecommunications services in the country “with fewer privileges for public companies.”
In October 2023, Argentine operators Claro, Movistar and Personal secured spectrum for the provision of 5G services in a tender carried out by the government.
The government obtained $875 million for the frequencies, less than the initial expectation of $1.05 billion.
Claro is owned by Mexican telecommunications group America Movil. Movistar is owned by Spanish telco Telefonica, while Personal is owned by Telecom Argentina.
The National Communications Entity (Enacom) had said the first block of 100 megahertz in the 3.3-3.4 GHz band it was acquired by Claro for $350 million, while Personal paid $350 million for a block of 100 megahertz in the 3.4-3.5 GHz band. Meanwhile, Movistar secured a block of 50 megahertz in the 3.55-3.6 GHz band for $175 million.
Personal and Movistar are currently offering 5G technology in certain parts of the country’s main cities as well as in certain coastal areas, while Claro recently signed an agreement with Finnish vendor Nokia to start deploying 5G infrastructure.
Personal had claimed to be the first operator in the country to launch 5G Standalone technology. The carrier first 5G Standalone (5G SA) antennas were deployed in large urban concentrations in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area (AMBA) last year. The telco said it expected to end this year with a total of 260 5G sites across the country.
5G subscribers in Argentina are expected to reach 34.7 million by 2030, up compared to 5.7 million in 2025, according to a report by telecom association GSMA.
The GSMA report showed that 5G penetration in Argentina is expected to reach 9% by 2025 while it would expand to 48% by 2030.
GSMA also noted that 5G networks will cover 84% of Argentina’s population by 2030, up from 38% in 2025.
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