Central America registers little progress in the implementation of 5G

Central America registers little progress in the implementation of 5G

Countries in the region report little activity in 5G testing and trials, with some exceptions in Costa Rica and Mexico.

So far, in the first quarter of 2022, 5G networks have not been deployed in Central American countries.

Mexico was an exception, where initial operations of a commercially available 5G mobile network happened in February.

A survey by 5G Americas, based on information from regulators, network operators and TeleGeography, reveals that, in Mexico, a second operator began activating its 5G network in December 2021, but with limited coverage to some areas of Mexico City and used for testing purposes.

In Central America, these networks have not been implemented, although regulators already consider a new spectrum suitable for 5G development.

Still, concerning Mexico, the AWS bands, 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz provide spectrum for 5G networks and tests. In Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama, progress has been made in planning more spectrum for mobile services, but no new bids have been made in these locations.

In Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama, depending on the country, the ‘low’ (600 MHz and 700 MHz), ‘medium’ (1427 – 1518 MHz, 2.3 GHz and 3.5 GHz), and ‘high’ (26 GHz, 28 GHz, 40 GHz and 66 – 71 GHz) bands are considered. They can improve mobile telecommunications networks over the next decade.

Mexico plans to hold a new spectrum auction between 2022 and 2023, which will offer a spectrum suitable for 5G in the 600 MHz, 1427-1518 MHz and 3.5 GHz bands.

5G networks will require different frequency bands to achieve the service parameters of diverse use cases of human, industrial and Internet of Things (IoT) connections.

About 5G Americas

5G Americas is an industry trade organization composed of leading telecommunications service providers and manufacturers. The organization’s mission is to promote the advancement and full capabilities of LTE wireless technologies and their evolution to 5G throughout the ecosystem’s networks, services, applications, and connected devices in the Americas.

The company is committed to developing a connected wireless community while leading 5G development for the Americas. 5G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, US.

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