BUENOS AIRES, Argentina—The Chilean government has authorized Nextel to make its network digital. This will allow Nextel to offer cellular telephony, two-way radio, paging and data services using Motorola’s iDEN technology.
The new network will begin to operate in mid-2002, with a company investment of US$50 million during the first stage to build a network between the cities of Santiago de Chile and Valparaiso.
Currently, the company has more than 6,000 analog clients who are provided with two-way radio services. Once the network is digital and expanded into new cities, Nextel plans to offer value-added services and increase its number of clients to 150,000 by 2005.
Nextel’s plans are being fulfilled because a governmental control agency rejected the petition presented by the Mobile Telephony Companies Association, which represents the country’s four cellular operators, accusing Nextel of disloyal competition. The new resolution confirms the authorization for the digitalization of Nextel’s network previously given by the Sub Secretariat of Telecommunications.
