Movistar Chile (Telefonica) announced at the recently concluded Mobile World Congress 2024 in Barcelona that it has crossed the milestone of 1.5 million 5G customers. Additionally, the company announced 5G Standalone (SA) Technology pilots and a renewal plan for migrating all home broadband customers to fiber optics by the end of 2024. As part of its Technological Renewal Plan, the company also announced the end of public telephone booths during the MWC 2024.

Movistar Chile 5G Customers

Movistar Chile said currently, 1.5 million customers are enjoying its 5G service, and it will continue to expand its mobile network throughout 2024. The company also reported that seventy percent of mobile customers are on free 5G plans at no additional cost and users are consuming 40 percent more Gigabytes than 4G users.

5G SA Pilots

Furthermore, the telco announced the inauguration of two new 5G Movistar Experience Laboratories - a project by Movistar Empresas - at the Catholic University of the Santisima Concepcion and at the University of La Serena, both featuring the new Stand Alone technology. This will help explore 5G use cases on the SA technology.

Network Expansion and Modernization

Regarding the expansion of the mobile network, the company detailed that in 2024, Movistar Chile will execute over 800 4G and 5G modernization projects and over 260 5G coverage expansions throughout Chile.

This network modernization and expansion will allow coverage expansion to new areas such as Easter Island, Cape Horn, Primavera, and Timaukel, bringing high-speed connectivity to rural areas in the country.

Fiber Optic Migration

Additionally, the company announced that all of its fixed broadband subscribers will be connected to fiber-optic technology by the end of 2024. Movistar Chile said the migration from the existing copper-based network will be completed in more than 1.3 million homes with Movistar fixed broadband contracts this year.

The initiative has already resulted in the removal of 7,000 tons of copper from streets, and 100 percent of its customers will be able to enjoy fiber broadband connectivity.

In 2023, along with On Net Fibra, Movistar fiber reached 200,000 new homes in communities such as Cabildo, Coronel, La Ligua, and Tome for the first time. The fiber network has currently passed 4.4 billion households, and this year the company plans to double customers in rural and remote areas.

Removal of Public Telephone Booths

The company also announced the end of public telephone booths, revealing that in 2023, more than 2,000 cabins located in eleven regions of Chile were removed as part of the company's Technological Renewal Plan, which seeks to promote fiber and 5G connectivity.