Bolivia’s National Telecommunications Company, Entel, says it has begun the trial deployment of 5G mobile technology in the country, prior to the official launch. As part of this process, areas called Experience Zones have been installed in strategic locations in each departmental capital.
These zones are being deployed at airports along the country's main road, as well as in high-traffic areas such as markets, business districts and other strategic locations across the country.
During this testing phase, Entel says its technical team will monitor the performance of 5G technology, to determine the conditions for a future technical and commercial offering that meets the real needs of users.
Entel adds that this initial deployment complies with the guidelines of the digital transformation policies promoted by the national government, which promote technological inclusion and equitable access to connectivity.
The expected official rollout is going to be in the second half of 2025. The Data Centre Dynamics website says that the tests are being carried out in the 3.5GHz band after the country’s Telecommunications and Transport Regulation and Taxation Authority (ATT) allocated 100MHz of spectrum for the experience zones.
It adds that in December 2024, this authority established the country's first 5G laboratory to experiment and develop projects related to this technology and facilitate its implementation.
Currently, Bolivia’s population relies on 4G and 3G networks, but infrastructure is limited outside urban centres.
Last year, Entel reached 6.6 million mobile telephony and internet access users in Bolivia, representing more than half of the country's total population.
Bolivia's telecom market is dominated by three network operators: state-owned Entel, Millicom-owned Tigo, and NuevaTel, which operates under the Viva brand.
