com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040820/RESEARCH )
This report provides information on Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama.
Growth in the Internet market is hampered by widespread poverty, a
linguistically and ethnically divided population, a small private sector, and
inadequate education. Panama's telecom infrastructure is modern and reliable, and is
serviced by five global submarine fibre optic cables that cross from ocean to
ocean through the Panama Canal, creating new opportunities for telecom,
Internet and e-commerce ventures.
Although economic growth in 2005 is expected to ease compared with 2004, the
prospects are still highly promising. Mexico
19. Puerto Rico
24.com
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

panama central

A third company, SpeedNet Communications,
now has the task of breaking BTL 's monopoly. While
fixed-line services are yet to be liberalised, value-added services and mobile
telephony are open to competition.

Nicaragua: Although Nicaragua has the second lowest fixed-line teledensity
in Latin America, 2004 brought big and promising changes to the telecom
market . In
fact, in terms of GSM, Latin America is the fastest growing region in the
world, soaring by 151% in one year. Besides AT+T, Telmex also acquired Brazilian Embratel,
Argentine Techtel and Chilean Chilesat. Paraguay
22.

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com/reports/c17936 ) has announced the addition
of 2005 Latin American - Telecommunications Markets to their offering. Bolivia
6. Caribbean Countries
8. Honduras
17.

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In January 2004, the government sold its remaining 49% interest in
Enitel to America Movil , thus completing the privatisation of the telecom
sector.

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Costa Rica: Served by a relatively modern and sophisticated
telecommunications infrastructure, Costa Rica has the second highest Internet
penetration rate in Latin America after Chile. Since the sector was privatised and opened to competition in
1998, foreign operators and local companies have invested millions in
infrastructure improvements . With a high percentage of the population living in rural areas, the
country's fixed-line teledensity is at the low end of the scale for Latin
America. DUBLIN, Ireland, Research and Markets
(http: //www. Argentina
4. Jamaica
18. Glossary Of Abbreviations

For more information visit
http://www.

expected equips

Though also not high by Latin American standards, mobile telephony
has been a fast growing market, helped along by one of the most liberal radio
spectrum regulatory models in the world. The government pledged to
increase telecom competition prior to the market's full liberalisation
scheduled for December 2005.
While most telecom markets in Latin America are both privatised and
deregulated, liberalisation has mostly advantaged the mobile sector. Regulators are undecided as to
how to regulate (or not regulate) these services and as a result, the
situation in each country is different.
The drive towards consolidation in the region is continuing.researchandmarkets .

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International
Telecommunications (Intelco) became BTL's first competitor in October 2003,
but was bankrupt by November 2004. It began to build a CDMA2000 1X
network in September 2004, and plans to offer Internet access, wireless
broadband and various corporate services as well as mobile telephony . In October 2004,
BellSouth completed the sale of its Nicaraguan unit TCN BellSouth to
Telefonica Moviles.com/reports/c17927

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
press@researchandmarkets.researchandmarkets. Many ISPs in the region are terminating and
originating international long-distance traffic despite not having government
approved licences. Suriname
25.

panama electromagnetic

DUBLIN, Ireland, Research and Markets
(http://www.
Since then, the government has awarded numerous new concessions for fixed-line
telephony. Nicaragua
20.

substance guatemala

Yet Costa Rica is the least
liberalised telecom market in Latin America. As a result, fixed-line teledensity is still
only just over 11%, while mobile telephony overtook fixed lines in service in
2002, reaching over 23% penetration by early 2005.

Panama: The country opened its telecom industry to full competition in
January 2003, ending the monopoly enjoyed by Cable + Wireless Panama (C+WP). All telecom
sectors benefited most especially mobile telephony and the broadband market.
There is a marked trend towards the use of alternative systems, especially
WLL and VoIP, and fixed-line operators are looking to Digital Subscriber Line
(DSL) services to increase their revenue potential. Haiti
16.

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In September 2003, it launched the 'Telephony For
All' program, which allows new operators to provide local telephone services
by becoming partners of Hondutel, the state-owned fixed-line incumbent.

researchandmarkets.
As in the rest of the world, VoIP is one of the most important convergence
issues facing regulators. The two most
outstanding deals in 2004-2005 involved BellSouth's sale of all its Latin
American assets to Spain's Telefonica, and AT+T Latin America's sale of its
operations to Telmex.

central anonymous

newscom. When it
comes to fixed lines, it is not easy for new entrants to build out a network
that can compete with the incumbent's. Brazil
7.com/reports/c17936

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
press@researchandmarkets.

anonymous clinics

Yet, despite theoretical
liberalisation, BTL still holds a de facto monopoly. However, the
government announced that it would award two new mobile concessions at end-
2005, even though the licence winners will not be able to launch services
until 2008.

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However, the country experienced a couple of
serious set backs due to natural disasters: Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and the
devastating earthquakes of 2001. Telecom Italia, on the other hand,
agreed to sell two of its Latin American operations: Venezuelan Digitel and
Entel Chile. Costa Rica
11. Panama
21.

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Internet usage is mostly
concentrated in San Salvador and a few other cities. In April 2004, the regulator announced that Nicaragua's fixed -line
market would be opened to full competition in December 2004.03%, and applied for
authorization to merge Enitel Movil with Sercom Nicaragua. BellSouth Panama (acquired by Telefonica in October 2004 ) and C+WP
have exclusive rights over the mobile market until 2007.

Infrastructure
Latin America has a low teledensity with only around 17% of the population
having a telephone line in early 2005.

expected substance

Included in the above report are four exhibits
and one hundred and thirteen tables . However, January 2004 marked a
significant step for Costa Rica with the signing of the Central American Free
Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which calls for a gradual liberalization of the
telecom sector.

El Salvador: The country's telecom market is among the most liberalised in
Central America .

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Each country has its own chapter and
covers the following subjects. The key issue is whether VoIP should be classified as a
telecom service or as a value-added service.

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In August 2004,
America Movil increased its interest in Enitel to 99.com
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

(Logo: http://www.

Fixed network operators in Latin America
In terms of revenue, the five leading fixed-line telcos in Latin America
are: Telmex (Mexico), Telemar (Brazil), Telesp (Brazil ), Brasil Telecom
(Brazil), Telecom Argentina (Argentina). Colombia
10. El Salvador
13. Guatemala
14.

central belize

Guatemala: While telecom infrastructure in Guatemala is fairly modern in
the main urban centres, rural telephony remains inadequate and antiquated,
though a lot better that prior to the 1996 liberalisation of the telecom
market.

electromagnetic deficiency

Research and Markets: Unique Insight to Central America's Telecom Market

Through the state-owned Instituto
Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), the government holds a monopoly over the
country's telecom and energy markets.

Research and Markets: Latin America Has Low Teledensity With Only Around 17% of the Population Having a Telephone Line in Early 2005

Telecommunication infrastructure varies
from nonexistent to rudimentary and from adequate to well advanced in some
major cities. Executive Summary
2. Venezuela
27.

expected panama

Dial-up access is offered
free of charge by several providers, and public Internet access centres have
opened in various cities and large towns. Millicom's subsidiary Celtel was the only
mobile operator until November 2003, when a second provider, Megatel, launched
GSM services. Mobile telephony received a further boost in June 2004 with the
entry of America Movil into the Honduran market when it acquired 100% of
Megatel.

Contents are as follows:

1. Belize
5 .

pulsed nicaragua

Key Statistics
Market Overview
Regulatory Environment
Fixed Network Operators
Telecom Infrastructure
Data Market
Internet
Broadband
E-services
Mobile Market Overview
Mobile Operators
Broadcasting

Belize: The second smallest and most sparsely populated country in Central
America, Belize was among the first Latin American countries to privatise its
national telecom company in 1988, but gave the incumbent, Belize
Telecommunications Ltd (BTL), a 15-year monopoly concession until end-2002 for
all fixed-line and mobile phone services. In broadband, the most popular technology
is ADSL , which grew by 104% in 2004.

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For more information visit
http://www.
GSM has become the most popular mobile technology for Latin Americans.

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Mobile phones overtook fixed lines in
2001 , and are now more than double the number of fixed lines in service.

Honduras: The country has 4th lowest fixed-line penetration in Latin
America, after Haiti, Nicaragua and Paraguay. So, fixed-line growth is stagnating
even in the major economies such as Brazil, where operators have reached their
service goals for line installation and consumers are increasingly favouring
mobile . Uruguay
26.

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researchandmarkets.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040820 /RESEARCH )
This annual report offers a wealth of information on the
Telecommunications Market in Latin America covering:

- Infrastructure Issues
- Regulatory issues and government policies re infrastructure
- Datacomms Infrastructure, Leased Lines, ISDN
- Public and Value Added Data Services
- Leased Lines, ISDN, Frame Relay, ATM
- Brief overviews on all of the major telecommunications carriers and
service providers in 26 Latin American countries

Latin America's economic woes, which peaked in 2001-2002, began to lift in
mid-2003, and 2004 proved to be a year of exceptional growth. Guyana
15. Peru
23.

guatemala salvador

com/reports/c17927 ) has announced the addition
of 2005 Latin America Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband in Central America to
their offering. As a result, the mobile industry in Nicaragua may soon be
served by only two nationwide operators: Telefonica Moviles and America Movil. Overview of The Fixed Voice, Infrastructure And Data Markets
3. Chile
9. Dominican Republic
12.