MAP > Internet Providers in Panama

Panama’s economic prospects have remained promising, with the GDP development during the past few years being steady at between 5% - 6% yearly. The growth has enjoyed some positive effect on this country’s telecom market that has also developed steadily and has gone on to attract some considerable investment from the significant international operators that includes the Telefonica, Liberty Global and America Movil. The Liberty Global in the year 2016 got to acquire the Cable and the wireless communications that own incumbent telco Cable and Wireless Panama. This deal has enabled the Liberty Global to be able to combine the CWP’s businesses in Panama as well as the Caribbean with their operations in Puerto Rico and Chile. The merged operator offers an improved bundled service offerings, and it has gone on to stimulated competition with other regional players Claro and Digicel.

In the year 2017 on December, the Liberty Global created the Liberty Latin America to be able to manage the company’s Latin America and the Caribbean businesses. The LLA has then expanded through the acquisitions, including the purchase of the 80% stake in the Cabletica in the year 2018 in February. The Telecom revenue has climbed well for numerous years before it fell back in the year 2016 and the year 2017. The mobile services and the broadband remain key sectors, the trend likely to go on in the year 2019 in wake of the operator investments in the network upgrades. The Panama’s fixed-line teledensity has been below average for this region, as well as a number of the lines continues to decline as the customers move on to adopt the mobile-friendly solution for being able to make calls and for the internet access. The competition has remained limited in the broadband sector, where incumbent CWP has gone on to resist unbundling the local network as well as a result that has secured the virtual monopoly in delivery of the DSL access. The single cross-platform competition that is from the cable modem as well as the WiMAX services.  

Mobile sector has gone and flourished in recent years. The popularity of the customers having various sim cards being pushed the mobile penetration rates that are above 174% in the year 2014 hence this fallen back in response to the measures that are aimed at getting rid of the dormant SIM cards and the unregistered users. The arrival of the Digicel Panama in the year 2008 and the America Movil in the year 2009, ending duopoly long enjoyed by the Cable and Wireless Panama as well as the Telefonica’s Movistar and this has resulted in the additional competition as well as the steep price reductions.