Telefonica Earmarks $180 Million for Colombian Network Expansion

Telefonica has announced plans to spend 465 billion pesos (US$180 million) expanding its mobile network in Colombia during this year. According to a statement seen by the Dow Jones Newswire, the expenditure will include GSM expansion and an upgrade to HSPA services.

The plan is to put 30 million people and 67% of the country in the range of the HSPA upgrade.

The firm also recently lost a lawsuit against the state-controlled telephone company Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogota over interconnection fees. The state-owned telco had been previously ordered to pay US$43 million to Telefonica, but this was overturned by the Constitutional Court.

Telefonica is planning to appeal the decision.

According to figures from the Mobile World subscriber tracker, Telefonica is the country's second largest phone company, having ended last September with 9.7 million customers, and a market share of 25.3%.

On the web: Mobile World - Dow Jones

Posted to the site on 24th February 2009