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Chile vs. Bolivia

Telecommunications

ChileBolivia
Telephones - main lines in usetotal subscriptions: 2,750,272

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15.23 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 652,272

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5.71 (2019 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellulartotal subscriptions: 25,051,668

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 138.76 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 11,688,830

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 102.25 (2019 est.)
Internet country code.cl.bo
Internet userstotal: 14,757,868

percent of population: 82.33% (July 2018 est.)
total: 4,955,569

percent of population: 43.83% (July 2018 est.)
Telecommunication systemsgeneral assessment: Chile's telecom systems are highly competitive and rapidly evolving; mobile penetration rate is among the highest in South America; deployment of 5G networks expected; fixed broadband penetration is high for region, with fast and inexpensive services; government initiatives provide high-capacity connectivity across the country and increase fixed-line broadband penetration; progress with national satellite system; schools received free broadband as part of the `Connectivity for Education 2030' program; submarine cable project to link Chile with New Zealand and Australia; importer of broadcasting equipment from USA (2020) (2020)

domestic: number of fixed-line connections have stagnated to 15 per 100 in recent years as mobile-cellular usage continues to increase, reaching 132 telephones per 100 persons; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations (2019)

international: country code - 56; landing points for the Pan-Am, Prat, SAm-1, American Movil-Telxius West Coast Cable, FOS Quellon-Chacabuco, Fibra Optical Austral, SAC and Curie submarine cables providing links to the US, Caribbean and to Central and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
general assessment:

with low national GDP and remote landlocked geography, Bolivia's telecom services are historically expensive and neglected resulting in low penetration; fixed telecom market is provided by non-profit cooperatives focused on improvement of services such as broadband and paid TV services; some operators adopted fixed-wireless technologies and fiber-optic capacity; fixed broadband services migrating from DSL to fiber remain expensive and largely unavailable in many areas; historically relied on satellite services or terrestrial links and inaugurated a new cable running via Peru to the Pacific; operator aims to increase coverage through mobile networks for voice and data access, especially to rural areas; space agency plans to boost satellite-based Internet; in 2020, communications towers in Yapacani were destroyed due to pandemic conspiracy fears; importer of broadcasting equipment from China (2021)

(2020)

domestic: 6 per 100 fixed-line, mobile-cellular telephone use expanding rapidly and teledensity stands at 101 per 100 persons; most telephones are concentrated in La Paz, Santa Cruz, and other capital cities (2019)

international: country code - 591; Bolivia has no direct access to submarine cable networks and must therefore connect to the rest of the world either via satellite or through terrestrial links across neighboring countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Broadband - fixed subscriptionstotal: 3,429,305

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18.99 (2019 est.)
total: 746,872

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6.53 (2019 est.)
Broadcast medianational and local terrestrial TV channels, coupled with extensive cable TV networks; the state-owned Television Nacional de Chile (TVN) network is self-financed through commercial advertising revenues and is not under direct government control; large number of privately owned TV stations; about 250 radio stationslarge number of radio and TV stations broadcasting with private media outlets dominating; state-owned and private radio and TV stations generally operating freely, although both pro-government and anti-government groups have attacked media outlets in response to their reporting

Source: CIA Factbook