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STATISTICS
- PHONE LINES PER 100: According to the ITU World Telecommunications Indicators for
1996, Chile has approximately 15.59 main telephone lines per 100 inhabitants. This is based on
a population estimate of 14.42 million people and approximately 2.25 million phone lines and
represents a 19.3% growth over 1995. 1
It is estimated that by the year 2,000, there will be approximately 2.8 million lines in operation.
2
- T1, ISDN & OTHER HIGH SPEED SERVICES: Chile's main cities are currently wired
with fiber optics and ISDN was introduced in 1994. All the telephonic switching in Chile is
digital. 3
- MOBILE, PCS CELLULAR SYSTEMS: Until recently, mobile calling has been primarily
with cell phones operating at the 800 MHz band of radio frequencies. In early 1998, however,
Subtel, Chile's Undersecretariat of Telecommunications, granted to Entel PCS phone service.
This will allow Entel to begin digital service on the 1900 MHz frequency band. The transition to
digital will allow for additional add-on services such as paging as well as data and fax
transmission capabilities. While in 1990 there were only 13,900 cellular mobile subscribers, in
1996 that number increased to 335,400, representing 2.33 subscribers per 100 inhabitants and
13% of total telephone subscribers 4 Penetration is expected to reach 4.7% in 1998, or
approximately 700,000 users, and an estimated 900,000 subscribers by the year 2000.5
- SATELITES, EARTH STATIONS & TELEPORTS: Domestic; satellite system with 3
earth stations. International; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean). 6 Chilesat supplies international service in
Chile via seven satellites that receive and transmit international traffic. Space segment
transmission facilities are provided by six Atlantic based Intelsat satellites and one Panamsat
satellite.
- DOMESTIC TELECOM PLAYERS: Current companies in the long-distance market
include Entel, Chilesat and VTR. These companies have also created subsidiaries in an attempt
to capture a share of the local calling market which was until recently controlled primarily by the
Telecommunications Company of Chile (CTC).
1.
http://www.itu.int/ti/industryoverview/at_glance/delam.htm
2.
http://www.segegob.cl/seg-ingl/focuson.htm
3. "Computing in Chile: The Jaguar of the Pacific Rim?", Communications of
the ACM, Sept. 1995, Vol. 38, No. 9, pg. 26
4.
http://www.itu.int/ti/industryoverview/
5. Chile Facts On Demand (Via Fax; 1-888-821-2424, Doc.ID#
260)
6.
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/ci.html
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