Tigo and Movistar face investigation over national 4G roaming

Colombia’s Ministry of Information Technology and Communication (MinTIC) has launched investigations against Movistar and Tigo, for allegedly refusing 4G network roaming agreements with newcomer to the market Avantel, El Tiempo writes. Under the terms of the 4G frequency tender, incumbent operators such as Tigo and Movistar are obliged to provide access to their Long Term Evolution (LTE) infrastructure to new entrants. Avantel has accused the duo of failing to meet this condition, calling for the suspension of their 4G licence and demanding that the ministry impose fines totalling more than USD15.6 million. Responding to the accusations, Tigo claims that Avantel did not satisfy the basic requirements for automatic national roaming, adding that it has attempted to resolve the shortcomings with its smaller rival.