Colombian newcomer WOM has confirmed that it has connected 525 unserved rural locations to its 700MHz 4G network, following a USD50 million rollout. Infrastructure has chiefly been deployed in the departments of Antioquia, Arauca, Bolivar, Caqueta, Cordoba, La Guajira, Norte de Santander, Putumayo and Sucre, boosting connectivity options for indigenous citizens.
Chris Bannister, CEO of WOM, commented: ‘We arrived in the country with the promise of transforming the telecommunications sector and contributing to reducing the digital divide. We have a great commitment to the disconnected of the country, that is why – at the same time that we were carrying out the deployment of our [2500MHz] commercial network – we worked to bring connectivity for the first time to these 525 locations in remote areas of the country.’
TeleGeography notes that rural coverage stipulations were attached to all 700MHz licences included in Colombia’s December 2019 multi-band spectrum auction. Ultimately, all 700MHz licensees must bring 4G connectivity to 3,658 rural locations across 32 departments of Colombia within five years of launch.