Medellín-based municipal telco Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) has launched a range of new VoIP services through its subsidiaries EPM Bogotá and Orbitel. EPM Bogotá launched VoIP telephony for corporate clients in Colombia’s capital last week, and has revealed plans to expand the service to consumers early next year through a COP40 billion (USD17.6 million) investment programme. Long-distance provider Orbitel has also announced plans to step up investment in its VoIP portfolio in 2006.
The third biggest player in Colombia’s local telephony market, EPM offers services to customers in its home city and 17 other municipalities in the Antioquia region, as well as cities including Manizales, Bogotá and Cali. It operates via its seven subsidiaries – Edatel, Emtelco, Emtelsa, EPM Bogotá, Orbitel, Telefónica de Pereira and Andesat – and offers an extensive portfolio of voice and data services, including local, long-distance, international, public, pre-paid, broadband and dial-up internet and WiLL. It is the country’s second largest pay-TV provider, providing cable TV access to 200,000 customers at the end of 2004, including at least 13,000 triple-play CATV, internet and IP telephony subscribers. EPM owns a 50% share in Orbitel, which launched services when the market was opened up to competition in 1998 and has established itself as the country’s second largest international and long-distance operator. It also offers carrier and value added services. EPM rolled out its first VoIP service in June 2004 under the banner Telefonia Virtual, targeting SMEs, and followed this up in February 2005 by extending the service to the residential market.