Nicaragua has been dealing with plenty of internal issues over the last few years, from the effects of the pandemic on the market, to devastating hurricanes, an encompassing a financial crisis and political unrest. 2021 was a particularly challenging year for the country, with the hurricanes that hit Nicaragua and others Central American areas said to have caused US$750mn.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) has already promised US$1.8bn in aid for Nicaragua and the rest of the region, and the provision of critical infrastructure will be a priority issues for re-development.
Nicaragua - telecom market statistics Q3 2024
On the telecom front, Millicom finalised the takeover of Movistar in May 2019. Since then, Claro and Tigo Nicaragua have been competing in the mobile sector alongside Xinwei’s Cootel. Prior to the acquisition, Tigo Nicaragua focused on B2B services and residential HFC connectivity in the country’s capital of Managua.
Nicaragua - estimated tower ownership Q3 2024
In terms of towercos, Torrecom and SBA Communications own about 40% of towers, with the remainder sitting with MNOs directly or in carve-outs. While the current situation isn’t favorable, both companies have in the past reported positive working conditions across Nicaragua. América Móvil has now completed the formation of its tower carve-out Sites, which now operates nearly 775 sites in the country.
In December 2022, the Nicaraguan regulator Telcor announced its plans to utilise the 3.5GHz band for the country’s future 5G ambitions, with a possible reorganisation of any current allocations (held by Claro), before any new concessions are distributed.
The introduction of 5G connectivity is a part of the government’s national plan to fight poverty and for human development, which covers the next few years to 2026. The date for the possible auction hasn’t been announced yet, but it is likely that the government will be pushing for it at the earliest feasible opportunity.
