Movistar Chile (Telefonica) announced at the recently concluded Mobile World Congress 2024 in Barcelona that it has surpassed the milestone of 1.5 million 5G customers. Additionally, the company announced a pilot of 5G Standalone (SA) technology and an update plan to move all residential broadband customers to fiber by the end of 2024. As part of its technology update plan, the company also announced the retirement of public phone booths by the end of 2024. MWC 2024.
Also read: Movistar Chile surpasses 1 million 5G subscribers
Movistar Chile 5G customers
Movistar Chile said that 1.5 million customers currently enjoy its 5G services and that it will continue to expand its mobile network throughout 2024. The company also says that his 70% of mobile customers are on free 5G plans at no extra cost, and his users have 40% more gigabytes than his 4G users.
5G SA Pilot
In addition, the telco announced that two new 5G Movistar Experience Laboratories, a project by Movistar Empresas, have been opened at the Catholic University of Santisima Concepción and La Serena University. Both feature new stand-alone technology. This will help consider his 5G use case for SA technology.
Network expansion and modernization
Regarding mobile network expansion, the company detailed that in 2024, Movistar Chile will carry out more than 800 4G and 5G modernization projects and more than 260 5G coverage extensions across Chile.
The modernization and expansion of this network will enable the expansion of coverage to new areas such as Easter Island, Cape Horn, Primavera and Timaukel, bringing high-speed connectivity to rural areas of the country.
Also read: Entel completes phase 2 of 5G rollout in Chile
fiber optic migration
Additionally, the company announced that all fixed broadband subscribers will be connected to fiber optic technology by the end of 2024. Movistar Chile announced that the migration from its existing copper-based network will be completed in more than 1.3 million Movistar-fixed homes. Broadband contract this year.
The initiative has already removed 7,000 tonnes of copper from roads and will enable 100% of customers to enjoy fiber broadband connectivity.
In 2023, Movistar fiber, together with On Net Fibra, reached 200,000 new homes in communities such as Cabildo, Coronel, La Ligua, and Tomé for the first time. Its fiber network now reaches more than 4.4 billion households, and the company plans to double its customers in rural and remote areas this year.
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Removal of public phone booths
The company also announced the decommissioning of public phone booths, revealing that more than 2,000 cabins in 11 Chilean regions will be removed in 2023 as part of the company’s technology renewal plan aimed at boosting fiber and 5G connectivity. I made it.
