Living in Peru : your everyday companion

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

One of the most famous popular questions in Peru, since the early seventies, is “En qué momento se jodió el Perú?” which means in English, literally, “In what moment did Peru get screwed up?” Many times in Peru's difficult history, Peruvians have helplessly repeated that question, which was first formulated by Zavalita, the main character of Mario Vargas Llosa's Novel “Conversación en La Catedral” (Conversation in The Cathedral).

Nowadays, things are changing positively for the country. Movistar, the cell phone company, not only borrows Zavalita's phrase, but also turns it into a positive motto. Their new television advertisement states “When did Peru get straighten up?” which conveys a message of solidarity: we all can make a difference in our daily lives, to reach the dream that Peruvian Poet Cesar Vallejo's verses express: “cuándo nos veremos con los demás, al borde una mañana eterna, desayunados todos?” (When will we all meet, at the edge of an eternal morning, with a good breakfast?”)

We all can make a difference to improve our country and that's not only a wishful dream, and companies like Movistar are working to help Peruvians keep really in touch with their loved ones and reach people that otherwise would be unreachable. And they convey all of this in this meaningful television advertisement. To see the advertisement, click on the image to the right.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Another cell phone companies' war is to start in Peru soon: due to the upcoming numeric portability, which will come into effect on January 1st, 2010, the companies will start a massive outreach campaign since October 15th.

Guillermo Thornberry, chairman of Osiptel, said that this will dynamize the market and enhance the competition among the telephonic companies, in order to offer better prices, fees and plans, and also to improve the coverage and quality of service.

Peru's Ministry of Transports and Communications reported that Spanish-Peruvian consortium El Corte Inglés, Everis Spain and Consulting Outsourcing Management Com, will manage the number portability database, under the supervision of Osiptel to make transparent the process, which will take nine days and will be free of charge.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

Andina

Peruvians who change cellular telephone companies will be able to keep their telephone numbers from January 2010.

Peru's Ministry of Transportation and Communications said Monday that the "portability" will allow cellular telephone users to change operators as many times as they wish to at no cost.

The Ministry said with the change, telephone companies are expected to offer lower tariffs and improved services, Dow Jones Newswires reported.

The government says there are 22 million cellular phone users in the Andean nation.

Peru's cellular telephone market is dominated by two operators: Telefonica Moviles SAC, a unit of Spain's Telefonica SA, (TEF) and by Claro, owned by Mexican wireless communications provider America Movil SA (AMX).

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Six months after beginning the implementation of a rural broadband project for isolated rural communities, 658 villages located in the remote areas of Cusco, Junin and Piura already have public telephone service, and home and public internet booths, according to Radio Programas del Peru and El Comercio.

Of the 658 villages benefited, 83 have landlines, 166 can now access the Internet and 498 have public telephone service, according to a joint press conference held by Peru's Minister of Transport and Communications, Enrique Cornejo, and CEO of Telefonica del Peru, Javier Manzanares.

Furthermore, it was reported that more than 255,000 Peruvians are benefiting from the advancement of telecommunications, and this project is projected to reach a total of 3,852 towns throughout the country by 2011.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The Telecommunications Investment Fund (FITEL) plans to invest more than US $140 million dollars in nationwide projects during the next three years, according to its technical secretary, Nora Tejada, said Tuesday.

"Fitel has invested approximately US $ 80 million dollars, and we expect that this figure will rise on the next 3 years,” she said.

Tejada noted that every project undertaken requires an investment of between ten million and 15 million dollars.

Fitel is a fund intended to provide universal telecomunication services in areas that are considered as “of prioritary social interest,” with the aim to promote social and economical development.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peruvian deputy communications minister Jorge Cuba Hidalgo will travel to Japan on August 16th, in order to coordinate the technical cooperation offered by the Japanese government to enable terrestrial digital broadcasting in Peru.

On April 24, 2009, Peru decided to adopt Japan’s Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting – Terrestrial (ISDB-T) Standard for its digital terrestrial television system.

Reportedly, Digital Terrestrial Television provides a greater number of channels and/or better quality of picture and sound using aerial broadcasts to a conventional antenna (or aerial) instead of a satellite dish or cable connection.

Minister Cornejo said that Peru chose this standard based on three determining factors, including technological, economic and cooperation aspects.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

According to Andina News Agency reports, Peru's Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) has finally signed the concession granted last month to Nextel del Perú by the Private Investment Promotion Agency (ProInversión).

This will provide telecommunication services in Lima and Callao provinces in the 821-824MHz and 866-869MHz bandwidths.

Nextel del Perú, a subsidiary of US company NII Holdings, was the only prequalified bidder and offered US$4.7mn to win the project.

The concession for the two bandwidths was awarded on June 8th.

ProInversión said the project could lead to investments of US$50mn. The concession contract is expected to last 20 years

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Cisco announced the results of the seventh edition of the Cisco Broadband Barometer, which reported a 23% growth in the number of fixed broadband connections in Peru during 2008.

Mobile broadband also registered a strong growth of 265% percent during the second half of 2008.

Fixed broadband accounts for 734,451 connections, a 11% rise registered during the last six months.

The penetration of fixed broadband per 100 inhabitants in Peru reached 2.7% in December 2008.

The growth in broadband penetration is led by the home market segment, which represents 76% of the total connections and achieved an 5% growth from June to December 2008.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Mobile number portability, which will allow the users to keep their mobile numbers when moving from one service provider to another, is to start next year in Peru.

Telephonic companies estimate now that this will boost the competence between them, leading to an improvement of the services in order to keep their clients satisfied.

According to José Gamero, Movistar's Marketing Manager, their strategy will be to focus on innovation and offering a first quality service, thus they will invest US $400 millions to widen their service areas and broadband coverage.

Regarding this, Movistar has just presented its new service Speedy Móvil, a wireless internet service running on 3G technology.

On the other hand, América Móvil announced that they will invest US $100 million dollars in order to improve and widen their cell phone coverage.

A fourth company is expected to be authorized to operate in Peru next June, which will dinamize the competence.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Guillermo Thornberry, President of Supervision of Investment in Telecommunications, said that the number of mobile phones reached almost 22 millions in March 2009.

He said that by the end of 2007 we had 15 million cell phones, and that the total of investments in the sector amounts to almost US $ 800 million dollars between 2004 and 2008.

On the other hand, information from the Ministry of Transports and Communications (MTC) points out that mobile penetration went from 24.6 cell phones per 100 people in June 2006, to 75.8 cell phones per 100 people in March 2009.

MTC says also that Internet broadband connections went from 404,400 connections to 747,235; from June 2006 to March 2009, and that they may reach 772,000 connections.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.