Bolivia: Entel covers 337 municipalities with cellphone service

With more than 1,600 antennas and base stations installed throughout the country, the National Telecommunications Company (Entel) managed to expand its service network and is one step to reach 100% coverage of the 337 municipalities of Bolivia. “When we talk about business growth in the last four years, after nationalization, we can say we got good results and we cover almost the 337 municipalities in the country,” said the General Manager of Entel Roy Mendez in an interview with media communication of the state. (ABI)

The government of Evo Morales nationalized Entel on May 1, 2008 and two years later reached an agreement with the company concerned, Italy’s Euro Telecom International (ETI), the payment of compensation of at least $ 100 million. In December 2010 the compensation paid Entel own resources, and assumed contingent liabilities of between 104 and 109 million dollars.

The Entel capitalizing invested about $ 90 million in 2004-2007. Since nationalization in 2008 to date, the state-owned company invested more than $ 282 million, ie 213% more: $ 82 million in 2009, 102 million in 2010, and approximately 220 million in 2011. Read Article