Telecommunications in Chile Market Trends

摘要

Despite the struggles of its many Latin American neighbors, particularly in the telecommunications arena, Chile has been a shining star, overcoming economic and regulatory battles to privatize and liberalize its telecom market. The government's creation of regulator Subsecretaria de Telecomunicaciones (SUBTEL) instituted an effective organization that has changed the face of Chilean telecom. The enormous investments made to infrastructure and services have all come from the foreign-friendly and competition-driving attitude that SUBTEL has taken. As a result, Chile has become a model for other Latin American countries struggling to open their telecommunications markets. Healthy competition and low rates have boosted the economy and moved Chile closer to the universal access it promised the World Trade Organization in 1997. Although some of its major carriers faced some hardship in 2001 and 2002, all predictions indicate that this market will stay the course and continue to introduce new services and technologies over the next several years.