BUENOS AIRES: Broadband in Argentina is still not affordable for lower income groups, and overall development is lagging, according to recently published reports from the Universidad de San Andrés, the University of Oxford, Universidad de Oviedo and Cisco.
Market penetration in Argentina is 34 percent and Argentina is currently in the group of countries whose connectivity is not fast enough for many current applications, as well as most Arabian and African countries.
Although broadband prices in Latin America are three times as high as in developed countries, the tariffs in Argentina are not so high. However, the country’s entry level plan prices are more expensive than in Brazil, Uruguay and Venezuela.
“In Argentina, for 30 percent of the poorest households, the cheapest plan is unaffordable.”
Telecom Argentina has recently announced US$400 million profits for the period between January and September 2010.
Telefónica has announced figures for the past 10 months: its Ebitda (profits before taxes and amortizations) for Argentina amounted to €815 million, this includes the fixed and mobile lines, internet and added value services and it represents 12.2 percent versus the same period in 2009.
The Spanish Group has 22.5 million clients in the country.
Source: La Nación and El Cronista
Read more about the Cisco broadband study.
