NII could eventually turn to LTE

US-based operator NII Holdings, which provides wireless services under the Nextel brand in a number of Latin American markets, expects to continue rolling out 3G networks over the next few years, but is also considering the possibility of overlaying LTE technology. Greg Santoro, the company’s executive VP, chief strategy and marketing manager, told BNamericas that the firm currently has no concrete plans to begin LTE rollouts, but it is in the middle of evaluating the technology and does not want to ‘wait too long’ to begin deploying 4G. Santoro said that NII Holdings’ primary objective for this year is to build out its 3G networks, and it is then expecting to see revenue growth opportunities materialise towards the end of the year and into 2014. In Mexico, the company’s Nextel unit expects to reach coverage parity between 3G and iDEN in Q3, and in the final quarter of the year it plans to expand 3G coverage into areas where its iDEN footprint does not reach. NII Holdings said earlier this year that it planned to focus on its core operations in Brazil and Mexico, having agreed to sell its Peruvian unit to Entel Chile in April as a step towards realigning its business.