Uruguay’s state operator Antel is aiming to invest US$147 million into upgrading its fibre-optic network throughout 2022.
According to local news outlet La Diaria, the operator’s president Gabriel Gurmendez outlined plans to upgrade all of its copper connections to fibre before the end of 2022.
TeleGeography reports that Antel is seeking to increase its coverage to 99% of Uruguay’s population, and that to achieve this, it plans to invest in extending its network to areas with fewer than 500 residents.
Gurmendez noted that Antel has set aside an allocation to ensure that it is able to obtain 5G-ready spectrum when Uruguay holds auctions for these frequencies. In recent comments, the Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining Omar Paganini indicated that the 3.5GHz band could be made available for auction by early 2022.
