ANTEL

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Antel
State-owned
Genre Telecommunications
Founded 1974 (spun off from UTE)
Founder Juan María Bordaberry
Headquarters Montevideo, Uruguay
Area served
Uruguay
Key people
Andrés Tolosa (President)
Revenue U$S 0.9 billion (FY2011)
Owner Government of Uruguay
Divisions Antel Moviles, Antel Datos e Internet
Slogan The Uruguayans' communication company (La empresa de comunicación de los uruguayos)
Website www.antel.com.uy

ANTEL (Administración Nacional de Telecomunicaciones; Spanish: National Administration of Telecommunications) is Uruguay's government-owned telecommunications company, founded in 1974 as a separate legal entity after spinning off the telecommunications division of UTE, which had the monopoly of landline telephony since 1931. The company has a monopoly of landline telephony and data services in the country. They also provide mobile phone services (in direct competition with Claro and Movistar) and Internet-related services, being the only provider of ADSL and land-line data services because of the monopoly situation.

History

In 1992, under the presidency of Luis Alberto Lacalle, a privatization of all government-owned companies was attempted. However, a later referendum revoked the privatizations law, being Pluna the only company to be successfully privatized to Varig.[citation needed] Antel enjoys a monopoly on land lines in Uruguay.

As of 2008 ANTEL's monopoly status also forbids cable operators even in larger cities, such as Montevideo, to provide data services (Internet) or voice services along with their cable service.

Antel started deploying fiber to the home in Montevideo in 2012, aiming to switch 240,000 clients that year with a cost of US$ 180 million.[1] Previous DSL subscribers keep their contract, or may switch to faster Internet Vera plans: 120/4 Mbit/s for US$ 85/month, 50/4 Mbit/s for US$ 70/month, or 20/2 Mbit/s for US$ 50/month, throttled back to 10% of those speeds after a 350 / 250 / 200 GB cap.[2] IP television, voice over IP and connections in the department capitals are expected for 2013 and 2014.

Telecommunications tower

Torre de las Telecomunicaciones (ANTEL)

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ANTEL owns Uruguay's tallest skyscraper, the Telecommunications Tower, which has 160 meters and 35 floors. It is the tallest building in the country. It was designed by architect Carlos Ott. It is situated by the side of Montevideo's bay.

Satellite telecommunications

Uruguay installed its first satellite earth station in 1985 followed by two Intelsat earth stations in 1990.[3] ANTEL, the Aeronautics and Space Research and Diffusion Center and the UdelaR launched the first national satellite for telecommunications on June 2014, the Antelsat.[4]

Private competition

Antel has been granted monopoly power over most forms of communication carriage in Uruguay, except for wireless voice (mobile only), wireless internet service, wireless broadcast TV and cable TV.

Uruguay communications offerings (as of April 2013)
Service Antel offering Private offerings
Wireless Internet Yes Yes
Wireless Telephone (mobile) Yes Yes
Wireless Telephone (fixed) Yes Forbidden
Wireless Broadcast TV No Yes
Internet over landline (ADSL) Yes Forbidden
Telephone over landline Yes Forbidden
Broadcast TV over landline No Forbidden
Internet over coax cable No Forbidden
Telephone over coax cable No Forbidden
Broadcast TV over coax cable No Yes
Internet over fiber Yes Forbidden
Telephone over fiber Yes Forbidden
Broadcast TV over fiber No Forbidden


For information on specific competitors to Antel in the services where competition is allowed, see Telecommunications in Uruguay

Financial Performance

(All u$s figures for FY2011 performance were calculated using 12/31/11 exchange rate of 1 dollar = 19.903 Uruguayan pesos.)

For the fiscal year ending Dec 31, 2011 Antel had revenues of u$s 899,361,905 (17,897,790,000 Uruguayan pesos).[5] This represents 2% of Uruguay's 2011 GDP,[6] putting Antel in the exclusive league of Uruguayan mega-corporations, with a share of the economy slightly higher than that of Chevron in the US.[7] Calculated on a per-capita basis,[8] in 2011 Antel collected u$s 267 of revenue per inhabitant of Uruguay (for comparison purposes the minimum monthly wage of Uruguay as of 2011 was u$s 300[9]) In FY 2011 Antel had net profit of u$s 155,630,000 (3,097,523,000 Uruguayan pesos), or 17.3% of revenues.

Antel has been involved in high profile and somewhat controversial investments[citation needed], notably a) the purchase of the Telecommunications Tower, the most expensive corporate headquarters in Uruguay for u$s 102,000,000 and b) more recently (April 2013) the announcement of a planned investment of u$s 40,000,000 in a sports arena.[10]

Disputes

By the year 2014, Antel started the project of "Antel Arena", a basketball field and stadium, this project should be banned by the Uruguayan national constitution, that does not allow any state-owned enterprise to operate out they indicated duties. This project is being carried out anyway.

Many people criticize the amount of money Antel spends in advertising. Even Antel is a monopoly they are knowned to advertise in almost every Uruguayan media.

See also

References

External links