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Telcel testing LTE, prepares for 2012 launch

Mexican carrier Telcel is preparing to launch LTE services in 2012. Currently, the America Movil-owned carrier is working on trials, with plans for a pilot project scheduled for the last quarter of the year. Deployment is likely to be in large cities, such as Ciudad de México.

Along with LTE technology, Telcel is implementing HSPA+ service, with the goal of reaching 27% of the population by the end of the year. The company will expand its HSPA+ coverage next year as well.

Telcel counts 66.9 million mobile users, of which 13 million have Internet access. Most of its subscribers use 2G and 3G protocols. In fact, 2G GSM reaches 99% of Mexican’s population, while HSPA covers 82% of the population.

Shares
In the begining of August, America Movil announced that its board of directors approved a move to acquire all of the shares of Telefonos de Mexico, S.A.B. de CV (“Telmex”), that it does not already own, either directly or indirectly.

The offer will include all actions represented by American Depositary Receipts (ADSs). To accept this offer by the shareholders of Telmex, América Móvil will acquire 40.04% of the outstanding shares of Telmex. With this acquisition, added to 59.96% of the outstanding shares of Telmex, America Movil will own all of the shares representing the capital stock of Telmex.

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América Móvil to buy out remainder of Telmex

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ABOUT AUTHOR

Roberta Prescott
Roberta Prescott
Editor, Americasrprescott@rcrwireless.com Roberta Prescott is responsible for Latin America reporting news and analysis, interviewing key stakeholders. Roberta has worked as an IT and telecommunication journalist since March 2005, when she started as a reporter with InformationWeek Brasil magazine and its website IT Web. In July 2006, Prescott was promoted to be the editor-in-chief, and, beyond the magazine and website, was in charge for all ICT products, such as IT events and CIO awards. In mid-2010, she was promoted to the position of executive editor, with responsibility for all the editorial products and content of IT Mídia. Prescott has worked as a journalist since 1998 and has three journalism prizes. In 2009, she won, along with InformationWeek Brasil team, the press prize 11th Prêmio Imprensa Embratel. In 2008, she won the 7th Unisys Journalism Prize and in 2006 was the editor-in-chief when InformationWeek Brasil won the 20th media award Prêmio Veículos de Comunicação. She graduated in Journalism by the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas, has done specialization in journalism at the Universidad de Navarra (Spain, 2003) and Master in Journalism at IICS – Universidad de Navarra (Brazil, 2010) and MBA – Executive Education at the Getulio Vargas Foundation.