Tigo Paraguay launches 4G LTE

Paraguayan telco Tigo has launched 4G LTE services, meeting the deadline in 24 localities, four months after being awarded spectrum.

The company said that the service would soon be offered as a fixed mobile service for home and business.

Maximiliano Bellassai, director of the Tigo Móvil unit, was reported by local daily Ultima Hora as saying that some US$100mn had been invested in the 4G rollout and a further US$11mn was earmarked for social programs (zero rating internet, subsidized equipment and telecenters), as required in the concession license.

Postpaid plans range from 100,000 guaranies (US$4.45) for 2GB of data to 250,000 guaranies (US$44) for 10GB. The plans come with a free 12-month subscription to the Tigo Sports channel and music app Deezer.

Tigo, which is a unit of Millicom International, was awarded 4G spectrum in the 1700-2100MHz bands (AWS) in December last year, along with Claro, and was given eight months to implement the service in the country's major cities and 40 months to deploy national coverage.

Tigo Paraguay CEO José Perdomo was reported as saying last month that the company is set to invest US$2.5bn in Paraguay between now until 2020 and aims to cover 95% of the population with 2G and 3G services and 66% of the public with 4G.

Personal, which is a unit of Telecom Argentina, snubbed the auction for the 1700-2100 MHz band in 2015, saying the spectrum was too expensive, before controversially launching a 4G service in December using the 1900 MHz band.

The regulator is currently investigating the legality of Personal's operation.

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