Claro (America Movil) intends to invest a total of USD 500 million to boost its mobile coverage and upgrade networks in Ecuador over the next three years, Reuters reports, citing America Movil CEO Daniel Hajj Aboumrad. The announcement was made following a meeting between Hajj and Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno, with the chief executive confirming the company’s interest in acquiring spectrum frequencies in forthcoming tenders. Claro intends to expand its LTE coverage to 85 percent of the country by the end of the year and begin 5G tests in Ecuador’s two main cities, for which the new frequencies are essential, said the report.
The Ecuadorian government is planning to tender frequencies in the 700MHz and 2.5GHz bands later this year to continue extending 4G coverage followed by 3.5GHz spectrum next year to pave the way for 5G. The funds raised by the tender is expected to amount to around USD 700 million, according Minister for Telecommunications and the Information Society, Andres Michelena.
Source: https://www.telecompaper.com/news/claro-to-invest-usd-500-mln-in-ecuador-over-next-3-years--1306239