Paraguay looks for private investors in IPTV


Details

Juan Fernandez Gonzalez

| 29 October 2015





Paraguay's public telco Copaco is considering deploying IPTV services across the country but says it can't afford the entire commercial operation, so is looking for private partners.


In an interview with local newspaper Última Hora, Eduardo Neri González, president of Copaco, said that the country requires strong technology investment to guarantee an extensive IP network.

"We are part of the telecom industry and we need an important technological renovation. Three years ago, we had Internet speeds of 1-2Mbps, and nowadays we're offering 3-5Mbps," said González. "We aim to exceed the 10Mbps barrier in the near future."

For Copaco, commercial management is as important as infrastructure, which is why the company is already negotiating with private companies to become project partners. IPTV, Internet LTE and broadband services lack commercial, post-sale services, which makes it difficult for Copaco to compete in the telecoms market, according to González.

After losing $22 million between 2011 and 2013, at the beginning of the year Copaco announced it was no longer in red, and therefore launched an ambitious improvement plan for its IPTV and fibre networks. The IPTV project has been on the cards for Copaco for over two years, but hasn't yet taken off.