Mobile telephony in Latin America had a somewhat late start compared with the rest of the world, and only really took off in 1999-2000, when the major mobile markets in the region experienced an explosive growth. Prepaid services played an important role the sector's success, as they made cell phones available to millions of low-income users.
Mobile penetration in Latin America surpassed fixed-line penetration in 2001. By end-2005, cellular subscribers had overtaken their fixed-line counterparts in every Latin American country except Cuba. Paraguay leads the trend, with more than twelve mobile phones for every fixed line in service in early 2008.
By early 2008, mobile penetration in all of Latin America was over 66%, well above the world average of around 46%. With 375 million people owning a mobile phone in early 2008, Latin America and the Caribbean holds approximately 12% of the world's mobile subscribers. There are, however, vast differences in cell phone development throughout the region.
Latin American companies have started rolling out the region's first 3G networks. A 3G mobile auction in Brazil proved a huge success. By early 2008, all the mobile operators in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay were offering 3G services.
This report provides 168 statistical tables relating to the mobile markets of 26 Latin American countries, and is extracted from the full annual market reports. For a full description, commentary, analysis and forecasting, see the original reports here.
Data in this report is the latest available at the time of preparation and may not be for the current year.