GVT to offer triple-play service in Brazil

GVT will launch its Pay TV service in mid 2011. The service will consist of a hybrid offer with satellite and video on demand over IP including HD channels. Alcides Troller Pinto, VP of Marketing and Sales of GVT, said that agreements with content companies are in discussions and the service would be available to GVT subscribers where they have access to fixed telephony and broadband. The company will use a Set-top box with a Wi-Fi connection for the IP service, the aim is to offer a user friendly interface to focus on average user.

Being a triple play provider is important for GVT, and concerning quadruple play and the possibility to offer a mobile service, Troller said it should happen in mid or long term. A tender for a frequency is ruled out.

CANTV reached 600.000 Internet subscribers in Venezuela

Ricardo Menendez, Minister of Science, Technology and  Intermediate Industries, announced Internet figures for Venezuela. CANTV, the Venezuelan telecom incumbent operator reached 600.000 internet susbcribers, from 87.000, the year of nationalization of the operator. He added that the number of internet subscribers in Venezuela is 1.461 million. For this development, Venezuelan governement installed 900 infocentres nationwide.

CANTV also have 6 million telephone subscribers, which represents a 65% growth since the nationalization and an increasing number of mobile subscriber base, from 8.300 million to over 14 million.

Bolivia to acquire Telecom Italia’s stake in Entel for $100 million

The government of Bolivia and Telecom Italia have reached an agreement to nationalize the Bolivien incumbent telephone operator Entel. The cost is based on an assessment of the french company Naulsen Prei, which told that Telecom Italia’s shares in Entel worth $104 million. It represents 50 percent stake of Entel.

Bolivian authorities tried to nationalize Entel since 2007 but the discussions were unsuccessful, so in 2008 the president Evo Morales ordered the expropriation and by this way, forced Telecom Italia to give up their shares. A suit from the Italian company at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) was rejected by Bolivian Government. Since its arrival in Bolivia’s government, Evo Morales has nationalized many companies (oil, electric power, cement, mining,..) and other expropriation are planned according to diplomatic sources.

Paraguay’s Copaco Invests $20 million to Launch Triple Play in 2011

Paraguay’s state-owned company Copaco will invest a total of 20 million dollars to launch triple play (telephony, internet and television). The company is expected to start commercialising the service in late 2011, as confirmed by the head of the state, Mario Esquivel, in an interview with local newspaper La Nacion.

Mr. Esquivel explained that the operator is currently “expanding and improving its  infrastructure” in order to reach various regions of the country.

“It is a strategic project for us [...] The expansion and improvement of our network to provide IPTV requires us to reach at least 8 Mega of internet connection speed, whereas today we are still at four,” he added.

The head of state also mentioned that the company plans to offer movie rental services within its IPTV offer.

Televisa and Nextel agree to terminate investment agreement in Mexico

Grupo Televisa and NII Holdings announced they have mutually agreed to terminate Investment and Securities Subscription Agreement reached in February 2010, to which Televisa would have acquired an equity stake in Nextel Mexico. Televisa had announced an agreement to acquire 30% in Nextel Mexico for $1.44 billion.

According to Dataxis Intelligence, in June 2010 the Mexican mobile market had 86.912 million subscribers. There are 4 operators : Telcel, Movistar, Iusacell and Nextel. The market is dominated by Telcel, owned by America Movil, with 71%, followed by Movistar 21%, Iusacell 5 and Nextel with 4%.

CNT to launch DTH service in Ecuador in partnership with Media Networks

The Ecuadorian incumbent operator Corporacion Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CNT) will enter the pay tv market. For this purpose, CNT selects Media Networks as a technology for Satellite services. Two bidders were in competition, Media Networks, a subsidiary of Telefonica del Peru and Tuves HD from Chile.

The investment costs $5 million, César Regalado, Director of CNT, said that “the granting of subscription TV service via Satellite was approved by Conartel”. The roll out will be launched in December and commercial launch is set for 2011. The idea of CNT is to offer triple play service to its subscriber base.

Colombia to invest us$159 million in DTT and DTH

Colombian authority CNTV (Comision Nacional de TV) annonced that Colombia will invest  $129 million for the deployment of Digital Terrestrial Television. This investment will be used for installation of terrestrial broadcasts stations. In addition to this amount, CNTV also announced a tender for the implementation of Satellite services (DTH) in Colombia for a budget of $30 million. This new service will be free and have the aim to cover all colombian households. The companies interested are : DirecTV, Telefonica, Telmex and Comtelsat.

With this announcement, Colombia wants to develop digital TV in the country. Today, There are Five Digital Pay TV operators : Telmex, DirecTV, Telefonica, UNE and Supercable. According to Dataxis Intelligence, the Colombian Digital TV market reached 1.116 million subscribers in June 2010.

Entel to acquire Transam and Will in Chile

Chilean telco Entel has agreed to acquire two small local operators Transam Comunicaciones and Will for an amount of $27.17 million, reported Reuters, citing Entel’s statement to Chile’s securities commission. However, the final price is yet to be determined by the agreement’s clauses that will take into consideration the companies’ debts and cash status.

Will provides wireless local phone service and data transmission while Transam provides long distance services.

According to Dataxis Intelligence, Entel Chile had more than 6.7 million subscribers by the end of Q2 2010.

ETB eyes Television market in Colombia

In an interview for La Republica, Fernando Carrizosa President of ETB, explained the plans for the company in short term. In addition to consolidating its leadership in corporate segment and upgrading the speed of broadband, ETB plans to develop a TV platform.

ETB is looking at different models on its TV service. First an alliance with DirecTV, which will allow ETB to offer 3-Play service easily as competitors are doing. Another possibility is to develop its own TV platform, for this purpose, there are several alternatives. By using its network to develop IPTV, or develop a satellite offer in partnership with satellite companies or its own satellite developement. All of these models are in discussions and analyzed according to the debt capacity and return on investment.

Broadband Cable subscribers reached 10 million in Latin America in June 2010

According to Dataxis Intelligence, Latin America reached 10 million broadband cable subscribers in half year of 2010. Historically, cable television is the most popular platform in Latin America, thus the cable network has an important potential for the expansion of internet cable.

The main operator, with 31% market share in terms of subscribers is Net Brazil with 3.1 million internet cable subscribers, followed by Cablevision Argentina with 1.026 million subscribers. Compared to the second quarter of 2009, the Latin American market grew by 22.7% (8.149 million in Q209). With 10 million of broadband subscribers, the penetration is approaching 50% penetration of Cable TV subscribers. In Europe, for comparison, this penetration reached about 33%.

Quarterly Evolution of Broadband Cable inLatin America in Q2 210

Source : Dataxis Intelligence