Cellular companies establish contacts with the government after restricting the use of spectrum

Reverse the effects of the two measures that froze the industry today. telecommunication is a priority for operators.

This week the Supreme Court accepted the complaint of the consumer badociation Conadecus and established a limit of 60 MHz of spectrum for each mobile phone company, the major companies in the sector ( Entel, Movistar and Claro) are expected to report 70 Mhz in 2014. On the other hand, the Undersecretariat of Telecommunications (Subtel) decided last week to freeze the commercial use of the 3.5 Ghz band for Internet studies of high speed or 5G. On the other hand, the companies have already deployed a whole contingent to reach an agreement with the Subtel and avoid the freeze of investments in the digital infrastructure and a stopping of the technologies as an effect. a judicialization of the two conflicts, companies support.

Entel led this lobby. On Wednesday, the director of the company's regulations, Manuel Araya, met with the authorities of Subtel. Yesterday was the turn of GSMA's director for Latin America, the guild that brings together mobile companies around the world. Sebastián Cabello landed early yesterday in the country to meet several operators, including WOM, Claro and Entel, and make an appointment with Undersecretary of Telecommunications Pamela Gidi. Today, he will meet representatives of the second floor of La Moneda and the Ministry of Economy.

"This government has an important digital agenda and if we want technologies that allow smartcities, connected cars, it is not possible if there is no spectrum. Without this, there will be no 5G. In the case of the 700 Mhz (4G) band, in order to be able to remedy it as quickly as possible, it is necessary to increase the spectrum limits. With 3.5 Ghz, the most important is that there are no arbitrary decisions and that the process is respected. "We are starting to discuss with the government to overcome this difficulty and hope that Chile will not be delayed, we want to continue to work with the government so that the rationality prevails and that Chile has 5G as soon as possible.", Explained Araya .

For the representative of the badociation of mobile phone companies, to establish a limit of 60 MHZ, as determined by the decision of the Supreme Court is not to understand the progress of technology. "The spectrum limit is something that needs to be changed for every offer;" "Limiting that does not make sense." Today, an operator needs at least more than 300 Mhz and not more. 60 Mhz. To maintain a good quality of service, the most possible spectrum is better. "

The executive added:" When the spectrum is bid, the operator invests and has better services, to trace this is to remove the blanket to the consumer and is lower quality of service it's a retrograde failure that the Supreme Court should not have taken. "