Honduran regulator Comision Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Conatel) has staged a ceremony to celebrate the launch of the country’s second commercial 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, by Claro Honduras. According to a media announcement by the regulator, Claro’s 4G network will initially be made available in major cities such as Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba, with coverage rising to 14 major cities by late-2016 – as per the watchdog’s licence conditions.
As previously reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, in December 2014 Tigo Honduras commercially launched LTE services for pre- and post-paid smartphone and USB modem users in the three aforementioned cities. Both cellcos were awarded 2×20MHz paired blocks in the 1700MHz/2100MHz bands back in October 2013, paying around USD12 million apiece for the concessions.
In related news, cash-strapped state-backed firm Hondutel has claimed that it has secured funding of around USD15 million from unnamed Mexican investors, which will allow it to launch its own rival LTE network in the summer. The development was confirmed to the local media by regional manager Ernesto Pineda, who noted that the rollout is likely to cover La Zona Metropolitana del Valle de Sula, one of the largest conurbations in Central America.
