Internet in Colombia

Colombia is still far behind Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina in terms of online usage. [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Colombia.pdf Colombia country profile] . Library of Congress Federal Research Division (February 2007). "This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain."] It had an estimated total of 900,000 Internet subscribers by the end of 2005, a figure that equated to 4,739,000 Internet users, or 11.5 percent of the 2005 population (10.9 per 100 inhabitants). Colombia had 581,877 Internet hosts in 2006. Although as many as 70 percent of Colombians accessed the Internet over their ordinary telephone lines, dial-up access is losing ground to broadband. In 2005 Colombia had 345,000 broadband subscriber lines, or one per 100 inhabitants. In 2006 the number of personal computers per 1,000 people increased to an estimated 87 per 1,000 inhabitants, a rate still below that in other large Latin American economies. The internet country code is .co.

Broadband Internet access

Broadband Internet access has been available in Colombia since 1997. The service was originally charged in American dollars, remaining expensive. The pioneers in broadband access in Colombia were University of the Andes and Cable operator TV Cable S.A both based in Bogotá, Colombia.

From 1997 to 2001, only the cities of Bogotá and Bucaramanga had broadband Cable Internet access, although during that time, the service remained expensive and was only available in the richest neighbourhoods.

In the year 2001, ADSL Internet access appeared in Colombia. The appearance of ADSL Internet access meant a commercial war between the telecom companies and the cable operators (mainly in Bogotá and Bucaramanga). For some strange reason, Bogota, the largest city by size in Colombia, and Bucaramanga, the fifth city by size, have been the only cities where Cable and ADSL operators are available throughout the whole city at the same time. Nowadays the fiercest battles to attract broadband users are in Bogotá and Bucaramanga.

Medellin, Cali, and Barranquilla, the second, third and fourth cities by population in Colombia have only one ADSL operator that reaches the city as a whole. This means the ADSL operator and the cable operators are not competing directly in those cities so that tariffs are higher than in Bogotá or Bucaramanga.

With respect to all the cities below one million inhabitants, ADSL broadband access is available through Colombia-Telecom (50% owned by Colombian Government and 50% owned by Telefónica from Spain). Because in these cities and towns the only broadband provider is Colombia-Telecom the service remains expensive.

Note: As of late (2007) Telefonica Colombia has expanded DSL operations to all Capital and Major cities and all cities with a main office and a main satellite.

In Colombia there are three national ADSL and WiMax Broadband Providers. That has monopoly positions in their respective cities, with the notable exception of Bogotá.

With respect to Broadband Cable Providers, each one of them is available only in their native city, and constitutes a monopoly in its respective city.

National players

#Telecom/Telefonica
#*Monopoly ADSL Position in all the cities and towns between 1 000 000 million inhabitants and 100 000 inhabitants
#*its also has a minor share of ADSL Access in Bogotá, Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla
#*It has monopolistic ADSL and WIMAX Access in Bucaramanga.
#Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogota "ETB" (90% owned by the city of Bogotá, and 10% owned by private investors).
#*Near monopolistic ADSL provider in Bogota
#*Near Monopolistic WIMAX provider Armenia, Medellín, Barranquilla, Palmira, Cartagena, Villavicencio, Neiva, Pereira, Ibague, Manizales, Montería, Bucaramanga, Tunja, Santa Marta, Valledupar, Popayán , Cúcuta, Cartago.
#*Small WIMAX share in Cali
#Empresas Publicas de Medellin "EPM" (100% owned by the city of Medellin)
#*Near monopolic ADSL and WIMAX provider in Medellin
#*Small ADSL Share in Bogota
#*Near monopoly WIMAX share in Cali
#Coldecon
#*Small ADSL Share in Colombia
#*Near monopoly wifi share in Cali
#*Near monopoly wifi share in Barranquilla

Regional players

#TV Cable SA
#*It has a mayor share on the cable broadband access in Bogotá. This company focuses on the richest neighbourhoods of Bogotá, and has found its market niche in the wealthy parts of Bogotá, mainly the northern part. Although it is a local player, it is the most technologically advanced broadband provider in ColombiaFact|date=February 2007. It is the first and only company providing Triple play in Colombia.
#CableCentro
#*It has a minor share of CABLE broadband access in most of the cities above 100 000 in Colombia
#Cable Union de Occidente
#*It has nearly monopolistic share of CABLE Broadband Access in Cali
#TV Cable Promision SA (completely unrelated with TV Cable SA)
#*It has nearly monopolistic share of CABLE Broadband Access in Bucaramanga
#Dinanet
#*It has monopolistic share of CABLE Broadband Access in Barranquilla

ee also

* List of countries by number of internet users
* List of countries by number of broadband Internet users

References