Columbia Telecom Services Market Overview, 2030

Through public–private collaborations aimed at closing the digital divide, Colombia's telecommunications rollout in underserved areas has grown considerably. The national initiatives go back to the 2010 Vive Digital program, which made significant investments in broadband infrastructure to connect towns and enhance rural internet. More recently, the National Connectivity Plan and Palapa Ring have raised $20 billion from the EU, CAF, and local governments to create pilots in isolated locations, integrating financial assistance with technical know-how for long-term implementation. In July 2023, IDB Invest teamed up with Tigo Colombia under a standby letter of credit approximately COP 197 billion to extend mobile broadband into 915 underserved rural locations, allowing for 3G to 4G LTE upgrades in 340 cities. Through initiatives like e-health, remote education, and agricultural connectivity programs, this project also promotes rural digitization. By adding a number of rural towers in areas like Tolima and Antioquia, the Canadian tower business Tower One Wireless increased network coverage for isolated communities. The CRC has actively promoted passive infrastructure sharing in Colombia, including poles, ducts, and towers, through regulatory incentives that have significantly decreased capital expenditures by around 30% and operational costs by around 15%, thereby reducing deployment hurdles in sparsely populated locations. These actions promote greater network collaboration between commercial providers such as Tigo, Movistar, and Claro, which speeds up the deployment of 4G/5G technology. These public-private partnerships have collectively changed the telecommunications infrastructure of Colombia. By combining international financing EU, CAF, IDB Invest with national regulatory support and private-sector implementation, Colombia is successfully closing digital divides, giving rural businesses more power, and providing essential services such telemedicine, e-learning, and e-government to communities that were previously cut off.

According to the research report, ""Colombia Telecom Services Market Overview, 2030,"" published by Bonafide Research, the Colombia Telecom Services market was valued at more than USD 5.58 Billion in 2024. The telecom industry in Colombia has just gone through significant spectrum auctions and put in place strong compliance measures to encourage rural digital inclusion. The major event was the December 2023 5G auction, where telecom operators like Claro, Tigo-Movistar, WOM, and Telecall were awarded four 80 MHz blocks in the 3.5 GHz band. The auction, importantly, imposed legally binding “Obligations to Do” on spectrum owners, mandating the installation of infrastructure and services in underserved, isolated, and vulnerable communities. These mandates include extending 4G coverage along 700 kilometers of main and secondary roads, connecting 1,191 schools through fiber, and making an in-kind investment of about COP 389.7 billion. The auction provides long-term finance for nationwide digital inclusion with further investment planned over ten years around USD 28 billion. The 2019 auction of IMT-700, 1900, and 2500 MHz bands earlier drove the expansion of 4G into rural Colombia, ensuring mobile connectivity to 3,658 rural communities and increasing coverage from 7.9% to about 80% by 2025. By linking license agreements directly to coverage requirements, these spectrum sales discouraged spectrum hoarding and compelled operators to spend money in underserved locations. In terms of auction rules, Colombia's regulatory agencies MinTIC, ANE, CRC, and the Comptroller's Office have established frameworks for compliance, such as spectrum management plans 2022–26 for medium-term allocation forecasting, pole/duct regulation, and infrastructure-sharing mandates. Trials of community-based networks and the pilot use of TV white spaces TVWS in isolated areas also demonstrate a dedication to the flexible use of spectrum for the benefit of the public. These programs, which strive for both technical coverage and socioeconomic inclusion, guarantee that communities have a say in and authority over connection. Colombia is at the forefront of using telecom regulation to foster fair access and close the digital gap between rural and urban areas by integrating digital inclusion into both the regulatory oversight and auction architecture linking spectrum access with the expansion of rural services and requiring transparent implementation.

The telecom services market in Colombia by Service Type is divided into Mobile Services voice, messaging, mobile broadband, Fixed Broadband Services, Enterprise/Managed Services cloud connectivity, data centers, MPLS, VPNs, IoT/M2M Services, OTT/Value Added Services and Other wholesale, satellite, etc. As of Q3 2024, the market is dominated by mobile services like voice, messaging, and mobile broadband, with more than 90 million mobile phone customers and 21 million mobile broadband users. Due to the introduction of 5G in metropolitan regions by carriers like Claro, Tigo, Movistar, and WOM, which provide 4G LTE across the majority of cities, there has been a significant surge in data usage and user engagement. Fiber-to-the-home FTTH, hybrid fiber-coaxial HFC, and DSL networks are all being used to grow fixed broadband services. Companies like Movistar and Claro have made investments, such as increasing the number of FTTH homes, which has increased fixed broadband subscribers to 9.2 million by the end of 2024. Recent USD 200 million fiber investment by Claro intends to satisfy the growing demand from business and residential users, particularly in new use cases like cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Cloud connectivity, VPNs, MPLS, and data center hosting are all seeing increased adoption in the industry sector. Local companies such as EdgeUno run more than 50 regional data centers and provide CDN and edge computing services. Wholesale initiatives allow operators like ETB, UFINET, and Millicom Tigo to expand enterprise-grade fiber infrastructure while alliances like Claro with AWS support scalable infrastructure for businesses. The usage of IoT/M2M services is expanding quickly, with mobile IoT being the fastest-growing telecom subsegment. Through LPWA and cellular connectivity, Colombia's ecosystem enables smart city, agriculture, and logistics rollouts. The expansion of OTT/value-added services like cloud gaming, streaming video, and mobile finance is on the rise. These services are integrated into the majority of telecom packages, with mobile data accounting for around 29% of all telecom revenue in 2025 and experiencing rapid growth. Services, such satellite and wholesale transportation, are necessary for institutional usage and rural connectivity. Satellite supports backhaul in remote locations, whereas businesses like GlobeNet offer wholesale capacity and submarine cables. These services, taken collectively, show that Colombia has a strong telecom industry, which supports inclusive digital transformation in both urban and rural areas, ranging from basic mobile voice to cutting-edge IoT and business platforms.

The telecom infrastructure in Colombia by transmission technology, is divided into satellite, wireless, and cable, each of which is essential to closing the digital divide and promoting nationwide connectivity. With more than 90 million mobile memberships and robust 4G LTE coverage that reaches the majority of municipalities, Colombia's telecommunications infrastructure is built around wireless technology. The major carriers, such as Claro, Tigo, Movistar, and WOM, are still making significant investments in the expansion and improvement of their wireless networks. The recent deployment of 5G, which occurred after the spectrum auction in 2023, represents a major advancement since it facilitates rapid data transmission and supports use cases like IoT, mobile video, and smart city applications. Wireless is becoming the primary means of access as a result of these developments, especially in semi-urban and rural regions where fixed infrastructure is still scarce. Meanwhile, wired technology is advancing quickly, particularly with fiber-optic deployments. Fiber-to-the-home FTTH and hybrid fiber-coaxial HFC networks are providing fixed broadband access, thanks to operators like Movistar and Claro, with assistance from municipal providers like ETB. With fiber accounting for a growing majority, Colombia had more than 9 million fixed broadband subscriptions at the end of 2024. Fiber rollouts in major cities and rising secondary markets are being hastened by government programs and private investment. These high-capacity wired connections are essential for cloud-based service delivery, educational institutions, smart home configurations, and business users. In isolated and underserved areas like the Amazon, Orinoco, and Pacific coastal areas, satellite transmission is essential for ensuring connectivity. Satellite-based backhaul and last-mile access are used by programs supported by MinTIC and public-private partnerships to deliver broadband to rural schools, hospitals, and indigenous communities. The military operations, catastrophe recovery, and business communications, satellite technology also supports scenarios where terrestrial networks are not accessible. These three transmission technologies are helping Colombia create a robust, inclusive, and forward-looking telecom environment that facilitates digital change throughout all regions and user groups.

The telecom sector in Colombia by end users is divided into residential B2C, business B2B, and government B2G, each of which fuels demand for different products and technologies. The largest user base is in the residential B2C sector, which is fueled by the widespread use of mobile devices, the growth of home broadband, and the rising consumption of digital media. As of 2024, Colombian families depend on telecom services for voice, messaging, video streaming, e-learning, social media, and remote employment, with over 90 million mobile users and over 9 million fixed broadband connections. This market is targeted by operators like Claro, Tigo, Movistar, and WOM with prepaid/postpaid options, fiber-to-the-home FTTH, competitive mobile data plans, and bundled OTT content tailored to diverse income levels. Recent fiber and 5G rollouts are enhancing service quality and speed, notably in metropolitan regions. As Colombian companies require dependable, high-speed connection to facilitate digital transformation, the business B2B sector is becoming more and more important. From small businesses to huge corporations, there is a strong need for services like managed data centers, cybersecurity solutions, virtual PBX, MPLS, VPNs, and cloud connection. Companies such as Movistar Empresas, Claro Empresas, and Ufinet cater to this sector with scalable infrastructure, service-level agreements, and integration with global platforms like Microsoft Azure and AWS. Telecom companies are investing in enterprise-focused solutions like SD-WAN and edge computing in order to satisfy changing demands as AI, IoT, and e-commerce gain traction. In the government B2G sector, telecom services are essential to education, health programs, national defense, and public administration. Government organizations employ fixed and mobile broadband for digital inclusion projects, smart city deployments, and e-government services. Thousands of schools, healthcare facilities, and community centers in rural areas have benefited from public-private partnerships, particularly those under MinTIC. Secure and reliable telecom networks are used by security agencies for communication and coordination.

Considered in this report
• Historic Year: 2019
• Base year: 2024
• Estimated year: 2025
• Forecast year: 2030

Aspects covered in this report
• Telecom Services Market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Service Type
• Mobile Services (voice, messaging, mobile broadband)
• Fixed Broadband Services
• Enterprise/Managed Services (cloud connectivity, data centers, MPLS, VPNs)
• IoT/M2M Services
• OTT/Value Added Services
• Other (wholesale, satellite, etc.)

By Transmission Technology
• Wireless
• Wired
• Satellite

By End User
• Residential (B2C)
• Business (B2B)
• Government (B2G)