Latin America - Telecom Market, Regulatory Overview & Infrastructure

Synopsis

Most telecom markets in Latin America and the Caribbean have been both privatised and liberalised. But the other face of privatisation is the problem of how to deal with the need for universal service in a region that bears the stigma of being the most unequal one in the world. Regulators have tried to solve the problem by mandating universal coverage, with largely unsatisfactory results. Indeed, while private investment has contributed to rapid growth in the non-basic services, such as mobile and long distance telephony, fixed lines have virtually ceased to grow, despite low teledensity. Telecom infrastructure is relatively well developed in the capital cities and major business centres, but rural areas are underserved, and sometimes lack any form of telecom access. This report provides an overview of the region’s telecom sector and regulatory environment, accompanied by relevant statistics and analyses.