Comcel to roll out 3G network

Colombia’s largest cellco by subscribers, América Móvil-owned Comcel, plans to rollout a W-CDMA/HSDPA network ahead of a launch of 3G services in first quarter of 2008. Speaking to local daily Portafolio, Comcel’s president Adrián Hernández said that the operator has already made a formal request to the communications ministry for additional spectrum, and that the majority of its 2007 capital expenditure budget will go towards the rollout. By the end of the year the cellco expects to have 3G networks deployed in 30-40 cities. Hernández also told the newspaper that he expects Comcel to have 23.5 million subscribers by the end of 2007, up from 18.3 million at the end of last year.