
Spotlight: State telco Antel's Uruguay investments

Uruguayan state operator Antel invested US$145mn in 2021, US$20mn more than in the previous year.
Antel allocated 85% of the funds to replace copper cables with fiber and to complete fiber optics networks in localities with more than 5,000 residents. It aims to have fully replaced copper cables by 2024.
Major amounts also went to installing 4G antennas and cellular network expansion, modernizing the information system, and preparing the network for 5G, according to a press release.
For this year, the company projects US$172mn for fiber deployment and a gradual 5G launch.
According to June 2021 figures from regulator Ursec, Uruguay had 11,980km of fiber optics deployed, mostly belonging to Antel.
The company is implementing a plan to take fiber optics to 44 localities.
Departments with the largest fiber optics networks are Montevideo, with 2,000km, and Canelones, with 1,411km.
Focused on fiber optics and mobile telephony, Canelones will receive this year’s bulk – US$16mn – of Antel’s investments. Last year, the department received half that amount. Of the total, US$3.6mn will be for reinforcing 74 base stations and building mobile infrastructure at 24 sites.
Antel will allocate US$8.5mn to Montevideo department, compared to US$9mn last year. Funds will go to fiber optics in Playa Hermosa, Playa Verde, La Capuera, Balneario Solís, Aiguá, Punta Colorada, San Francisco, and Cerro Pelado de Maldonado. An additional US$3mn are earmarked for submarine cable works.
In Colonia department, Antel will invest US$5mn, compared to US$6mn in 2021. The investments will be for fiber in towns and rural areas.
In February, fiber optics works for US$100,000 started in Mariscala town, Lavalleja department, and are expected to be completed by mid-year. With 308km, the department has among the smallest fiber optics network, according to Ursec.
In early March, Antel announced the start of fiber optics installation in José Pedro Varela town, also in Lavalleja.
Antel will also invest US$800,000 this year in Soriano department for fiber optics in Palmitas, Santa Catalina and Rodó, as well as new base stations.
4G and 5G
Antel was the first operator in Latin America to activate 5G base stations in 2019. However, the deployment did not continue. Uruguay is mulling to launch a 5G spectrum auction this year.
Although Antel has some 5G fixed wireless broadband pilots in the 28GHz band, they are not feasible for mass deployment.
Meanwhile, Antel aims to install 40 more 4G antennas in remote areas. In 2021, Antel installed 50 base stations in the country’s interior.
RESULTS
The company announced a net profit of US$247mn in 2021, "the best economic result since records have been kept," Antel chief Gabriel Gurméndez said in a statement.
This growth was due to improved efficiency, leading to a 10% opex drop. The company has a policy of maintaining costs, cutting advertising expenses, and not renew vacancies to achieve greater staff efficiency, among others. The operative margin was 31%.
Gurméndez said the tight control of expenses also allowed a reduction in the average price per gigabyte, which translated into a 50% mobile and 17% fixed traffic growth.
The mobile customer base grew 6%, fixed internet 4%, and fixed telephony 3%.
On March 27, a referendum also involving continued number portability will take place. In the first 40 days of the year, Antel gained 2,500 clients, but local newspaper La Diaria reported the trend has reversed and Antel registered a negative balance.
However, Antel remains leader with an accumulated balance of 1,550 new clients, followed by Claro with 130 new clients. Movistar registered a negative balance of 1,700 since number portability was introduced.
Antel had 53% of the mobile market in June 2021, followed by Movistar (29%) and Claro (17.8%).
Subscribe to the most trusted business intelligence platform in Latin America. Let us show you our solutions for Suppliers, Contractors, Operators, Government, Legal, Financial and Insurance.
News in: ICT (Uruguay)

LatAm ICT investment, financing watch
BNamericas provides an overview of recent developments in the VC, startup and overall investment scene.

Mercado Libre to generate 14,000 jobs in Latin America
The number of employees of the e-commerce and financial services platform will grow 46% in the region and will mainly strengthen the logistics netw...
Subscribe to Latin America’s most trusted business intelligence platform.
Other projects in: ICT
Get critical information about thousands of ICT projects in Latin America: what stages they're in, capex, related companies, contacts and more.
- Project: Datacenter SP6
- Current stage:
- Updated:
8 months ago
- Project: Datacenter SP3
- Current stage:
- Updated:
8 months ago
- Project: New Google datacenter in Argentina
- Current stage:
- Updated:
2 years ago
- Project: AZ2 data center
- Current stage:
- Updated:
8 months ago
- Project: FON Macrozona On
- Current stage:
- Updated:
2 years ago
- Project: Google data center in Uruguay (Teros)
- Current stage:
- Updated:
2 years ago
- Project: Updating and expansion of the National Data Center
- Current stage:
- Updated:
2 years ago
- Project: EdgeConneX Santiago SCL02
- Current stage:
- Updated:
2 years ago
- Project: EdgeConneX Santiago SCL01
- Current stage:
- Updated:
2 years ago
- Project: Edge Data Center (EDCBUE01) Buenos Aires, Pilar Industrial Park
- Current stage:
- Updated:
2 years ago
Other companies in: ICT
Get critical information about thousands of ICT companies in Latin America: their projects, contacts, shareholders, related news and more.
- Company: Global Dominion Access S.A.  (Global Dominion Access)
-
The description included in this profile was taken directly from an official source and has not been modified or edited by the BNamericas’ researchers. However, it may have been...
- Company: eBazar.com.br Ltda.  (MercadoLivre)
-
MercadoLivre is the Brazilian subsidiary of Argentina-based regional C2C online auction site MercadoLibre and US auctions giant eBay, which has a minority stake. Ebay and the Ar...
- Company: Wiwynn México, S.A. de C.V.  (Wiwynn México)
-
The description included in this profile was taken directly from an official source and has not been modified or edited by the BNamericas’ researchers. However, it may have been...
- Company: Wiwynn Corp  (Wiwynn)
-
The description included in this profile was taken directly from an official source and has not been modified or edited by the BNamericas’ researchers. However, it may have been...
- Company: Abloy Colombia S.A.S.  (Assa Abloy Global Solutions – Critical Insfrastructure Colombia)
-
The description included in this profile was taken directly from an official source and has not been modified or edited by the BNamericas’ researchers. However, it may have been...
- Company: Assa Abloy Global Solutions Mexico S.A. de C.V.  (Assa Abloy Global Solutions – Critical Insfrastructure Mexico)
-
The description included in this profile was taken directly from an official source and has not been modified or edited by the BNamericas’ researchers. However, it may have been...
- Company: Edyce S.A.  (Edyce Metalúrgica)
-
The description contained in this profile was taken directly from an official source and has not been edited or modified by BNamericas researchers, but may have been automatical...
- Company: Nabiax Brasil
-
The description contained in this profile was taken directly from an official source and has not been edited or modified by BNamericas researchers, but may have been automatical...
- Company: DirecTV Latin America LLC  (DirecTV Latin America)
-
The description contained in this profile was taken directly from an official source and has not been edited or modified by BNamericas researchers, but may have been automatical...
- Company: Empresas Municipales de Cali E.I.C.E. E.S.P.  (Emcali)
-
Empresas Municipales de Cali (Emcali) is a state-owned company that provides water, telecommunications, and electricity services in Cali, Colombia. The company has close to 600,...