Mobile broadband will boost Chilean wireless sector

Guillermo Pickering, the president of Chilean mobile telephony association Atelmo, revealed that he believes the country’s mobile broadband sector will double in size in 2010, BNamericas reports, according to TeleGeography CommsUpdate.

The majority of investment is expected to fund coverage improvements and the first tests of LTE technology. As CommsUpdate reported previously, Chilean cellco Entel PCS began LTE field testing, becoming the first wireless operator in Latin America to do so.

Meanwhile, Miguel Moya, president of Chile’s Internet Service Provider’s Association was quoted saying overall income from sales in the telecoms sector should increase 5 percent this year, with mobile broadband revenue contributing more than 10 percent of the total.

By the end of 2010 fixed broadband subscribers are forecast to reach 2 million and mobile broadband connections could reach 1 million.

Two new operators are set to join the fray this year, trunking operator Nextel and cable provider VTR.