Abstract
Executive Summary
Mobile telephony in Latin America had a somewhat late start compared with the
rest of the world, and only really took off in 1999-2000, when the major
mobile markets in the region experienced an explosive growth. Prepaid services
played an important role the sector' s success, as they made cell phones
available to millions of low-income users.
Mobile penetration in Latin America surpassed fixed-line penetration in 2001.
By end-2005, cellular subscribers had overtaken their fixed-line counterparts
in every Latin American country except Cuba. Paraguay leads the trend, with
more than twelve mobile phones for every fixed line in service in early 2008.
By early 2008, mobile penetration in all of Latin America was over 66%, well
above the world average of around 46%. With 375 million people owning a mobile
phone in early 2008, Latin America and the Caribbean holds approximately 12%
of the world' s mobile subscribers. There are, however, vast differences in
cell phone development throughout the region.
Latin American companies have started rolling out the region' s first 3G
networks. A 3G mobile auction in Brazil proved a huge success. By early 2008,
all the mobile operators in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay were offering 3G
services.
This report provides 168 statistical tables relating to the mobile markets of
26 Latin American countries, and is extracted from the full annual market
reports.
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