Antel allocated 3.5 GHz spectrum

Uruguayan communications watchdog Ursec confirmed that state-owned operator Antel has received a 100 MHz frequency block of 5G-compatible spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band following the auction held last month. Under the conditions of the tender, block was reserved for Antel, which will be required to pay USD 28.08 million for the portion, the average of the amount shelled out by Claro (America Movil) and Movistar (Telefonica) for their 25-year concessions.

Antel will also be subjected to the same coverage obligations as Claro and Movistar, namely the requirement to install 70 base stations within 24 months of the contract, including at least two base stations in at least ten departments apart from Montevideo. During the following 36 months, all three operators will have to deploy at least two base stations in each of Uruguay’s 19 departments.

According to Ursec data, there were 6,950 operational antennas throughout Uruguay at the end of 2022, with Antel owning 46 percent, followed by Claro and Movistar with 28 percent and 26 percent respectively. They served some 6.2 million mobile lines (including M2M), up 376,000 year on year.