Uruguayan telco Ancel, the mobile unit of state-run operator Antel, reached 811,000 subscribers on increasing mobile and slightly decreasing fixed line telephony penetration, newspaper La República reported Antel president María Simón as saying.
According to the newspaper Ancel's subscriber base could reach 1 million in the medium term. "We see this [a decline in fixed line penetration] as a signal," the newspaper quoted Simón as saying.
The executive said the company is trying to add new services to fixed line telephony such as image content to boost its appeal.
Simón also said the company is expanding its services in rural areas. Antel has a fiber optic network providing coverage to almost the whole country.
Antel plans is investing US$10mn in a fiber optic network expansion plan that should be completed by the end of the first half of 2007, Antel's technical development manager Humberto Roca previously told BNamericas.
Simón said broadband rates should be lowered but explained that due to the scale of Uruguay's market this is not yet feasible.
BNAmericas.com"
Posted to the site on 12th September 2006
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/19290.php