Vonage Holdings Corp says it has entered into a joint venture agreement with Brazilian-based Datora Telecom to deliver communications services in the Latin American country. In a press release, Vonage said that Brazil represents a ‘substantial opportunity’ for both companies, with more than 67 million households – 17 million of which are connected via broadband – and over one million US expats. Further, the company notes that with the Brazilian government looking to commit roughly USD8 billion per year between 2010 and 2013 to increase national high speed internet penetration, the number of broadband households is expected to grow to 40 million by 2014.
Commenting on the joint venture agreement, Vonage’s managing director for international markets, Kimberly O’Loughlin, said: ‘Brazil is one of the fastest growing markets in the world for communications services, and we are excited to partner with Datora to bring new services to consumers … Datora is an innovative telecommunications provider with a proven track record of success. Their entrepreneurial culture, market expertise and presence in Brazil will be invaluable as we embark upon this new market opportunity together.’
Founded 20 years ago, Datora Telecom is a Brazil-based multinational telecoms provider focused on voice and data solutions for carriers both at home and abroad. It was one of the first companies to operate voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) services in Latin America, and the first firm in Brazil to be issued a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) licence. Datora boasts a significant physical presence in Brazil, with points of presence (PoP) in the country’s most important cities, and more than 200 interconnection agreements with leading carriers in the countries where it does business.