Telefonica Expects 91% Mobile Penetration by 2010

Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica expects the Colombian market to see mobile penetration of 91% by 2010 compared to 67% today, the company said at its 2007 conference with analysts.

In Colombia Telefonica intends its mobile unit Movistar to focus on high value clients and on the continued migration to GSM technology, TEF said in a report about the conference.

The company also expects Colombia to see broadband penetration of 17% in 2010 compared to 6% at the end of 2006. Expansion of broadband infrastructure is a major goal for Telefonica in most of its markets and in Colombia will take place mainly in capital Bogota.

Telefonica entered Colombia's mobile market in 2004 through the acquisition of Bellsouth Colombia, and now offers fixed telephony and internet services by virtue of a 50% plus one share stake in the former state-run operator Telecom, acquired in April 2006.

At the end of the first half of 2007, the company had 2.3mn fixed telephony lines, 125,000 broadband subscribers and 7.6mn mobile lines.

Posted to the site on 15th October 2007