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The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 1990 to 2024 South America

Telecommunication systems Uruguay, in 35 editions.

The entry for Uruguay published Telecommunication systems in 35 editions of 36, from 1990 to 2024. The text changed in 26 editions. Each is shown as published. Telecommunication systems in every entry.

editions changed the text: 26
the first edition with it: 1990
the latest edition with it: 2024

Published as “Telecommunications” (1990 to 1994), “Telephone system” (1995 to 2019) and “Telecommunication systems” (2020 to 2024).

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe edition shownChoose an edition on the strip beside the text, or step through them with the arrows. Mark changes compares it with the edition before: the marks are ours, words added and words removed.

2024 edition

Changed since 2023

Mark changes

Open the 2024 entry

general assessment:: fully digitalized;
one of the highest broadband penetrations in Latin America;
high fixed-line and mobile penetrations as well;
FttP coverage by 2022;
nationwide 3G coverage and LTE networks;
limited 5G commercial reach;
strong focus on fiber infrastructure with 70% residential fixed-broadband connections and all business connections (2020)
domestic:: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo;
nationwide microwave radio relay network;
overall fixed-line 34 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity 138 per 100 persons (2019)
international:: country code - 598;
landing points for the Unisor, Tannat, and Bicentenario submarine cable system providing direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina;
Bicentenario 2012 and Tannat 2017 cables helped end-users with Internet bandwidth;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2020)

note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated

general assessment: fully digitalized; one of the highest broadband penetrations in Latin America; high fixed-line and mobile penetrations as well; FttP coverage by 2022; nationwide 3G coverage ~~(2018)~~ and LTE networks; limited 5G commercial reach; strong focus on fiber infrastructure with 70% residential fixed-broadband connections and all business connections (2020)
domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; nationwide microwave radio relay network; overall fixed-line 34 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity ~~152~~ 138 per 100 persons ~~(2018)~~ (2019)
international: country code - 598; landing points for the ~~UNISOR~~ Unisor, Tannat, and Bicentenario submarine cable system ~~provides~~ providing direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina; ~~satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);~~ Bicentenario 2012 and Tannat 2017 cables helped end-users with Internet ~~bandwidth~~ bandwidth; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2020)
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated

general assessment:: Uruguay has an advanced telecom market, with excellent infrastructure and one of the highest broadband penetration rates in Latin America;
fully digitized;
high computer use and fixed-line/mobile penetrations;
deployment of fiber infrastructure will encourage economic growth and stimulate e-commerce;
state-owned monopoly on fixed-line market and dominance of mobile market;
nationwide 3G coverage and LTE networks;
limited 5G commercial reach;
strong focus on fiber infrastructure with high percentage of residential fixed-broadband connections and near total business connections;
importer of broadcasting equipment from China (2020)
domestic:: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo;
nationwide microwave radio relay network;
overall fixed-line 34 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity 138 per 100 persons (2019)
international:: country code - 598;
landing points for the Unisor, Tannat, and Bicentenario submarine cable system providing direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina;
Bicentenario 2012 and Tannat 2017 cables helped end-users with Internet bandwidth;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2020)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

general assessment: ~~fully digitalized;~~ Uruguay has an advanced telecom market, with excellent infrastructure and one of the highest broadband ~~penetrations~~ penetration rates in Latin America; fully digitized; high computer use and fixed-line/mobile penetrations; deployment of fiber infrastructure will encourage economic growth and stimulate e-commerce; state-owned monopoly on fixed-line market and dominance of mobile ~~penetrations as well; FttP coverage by 2022;~~ market; nationwide 3G coverage and LTE networks; limited 5G commercial reach; strong focus on fiber infrastructure with ~~70%~~ high percentage of residential fixed-broadband connections and ~~all~~ near total business ~~connections~~ connections; importer of broadcasting equipment from China (2020)
domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; nationwide microwave radio relay network; overall fixed-line 34 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity 138 per 100 persons (2019)
international: country code - 598; landing points for the Unisor, Tannat, and Bicentenario submarine cable system providing direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina; Bicentenario 2012 and Tannat 2017 cables helped end-users with Internet bandwidth; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2020)
note: the COVID-19 ~~outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications~~ pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and ~~services has also slowed due to~~ the ~~pandemic's effect~~ consequent restriction on ~~economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of~~ disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom ~~industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable~~ services as a tool for work and ~~satellite - has moderated~~ school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

general assessment:: Uruguay has an advanced telecom market, with excellent infrastructure and one of the highest broadband penetration rates in Latin America;
fixed-line teledensity is also particularly high for the region, while mobile penetration is the second highest after Panama;
in terms of computer penetration, Uruguay tops all other countries in the region by a considerable margin, and this has facilitated growth in fixed-line broadband adoption;
the government and telecom regulator have introduced a range of measures to help develop the deployment of fiber infrastructure, partly in a bid to encourage economic growth and stimulate e-commerce;
fiber accounted for about 77% of all fixed and fixed-wireless broadband connections as of June 2020;
with investment projected to reach $800 million, the state-owned incumbent Antel is expected to provide national FttP coverage by early 2022;
together with the FttP network, the opening of the submarine cable system in early 2012 and August 2017 have helped boost Uruguay’s internet bandwidth, and increase the data rate available to end-users;
Uruguay is one of the very few Latin American countries where the local fixed-line market is neither privatized nor liberalized;
other segments of the telecom market have been opened to competition, including international long-distance telephony, mobile telephony, and fixed-wireless broadband;
Uruguay is also one of the few countries in the world where broadband access via cable modem does not exist;
although cable networks are well equipped technologically, and digital cable TV is widely available, telecom legislation prohibits data transmission over pay TV networks;
the government announced in December 2020 that it intended to introduce changes to the law to permit pay TV providers to offer internet and telephony packages over their own networks;
all three operators offer mobile broadband through 3G and LTE networks;
operators have achieved nationwide 3G coverage and the number of mobile broadband subscribers continues to grow;
at the end of 2019, spectrum in the 5G-suitable range was auctioned, enabling operators to launch 5G services;
the regulator is working on a spectrum and connectivity policy that emphasizes 5G (2021)
domestic:: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo;
nationwide microwave radio relay network;
overall fixed-line roughly 35 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity 131 per 100 persons (2020)
international:: country code - 598;
landing points for the Unisor, Tannat, and Bicentenario submarine cable system providing direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina;
Bicentenario 2012 and Tannat 2017 cables helped end-users with Internet bandwidth;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2020)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

Rewritten: too little of the 2021 text remains to mark the changes.
general assessment: Uruguay has an advanced telecom market, with excellent infrastructure and one of the highest broadband penetration rates in Latin America; fixed-line teledensity is also particularly high for the region, while mobile penetration is the second highest after Panama; in terms of computer penetration, Uruguay tops all other countries in the region by a considerable margin, and this has facilitated growth in fixed-line broadband adoption; the government and telecom regulator have introduced a range of measures to help develop the deployment of fiber infrastructure, partly in a bid to encourage economic growth and stimulate e-commerce; fiber accounted for about 77% of all fixed and fixed-wireless broadband connections as of June 2020; with investment projected to reach $800 million, the state-owned incumbent Antel is expected to provide national FttP coverage by early 2022; together with the FttP network, the opening of the submarine cable system in early 2012 and August 2017 have helped boost Uruguay’s internet bandwidth, and increase the data rate available to end-users; Uruguay is one of the very few Latin American countries where the local fixed-line market is neither privatized nor liberalized; other segments of the telecom market have been opened to competition, including international long-distance telephony, mobile telephony, and fixed-wireless broadband; Uruguay is also one of the few countries in the world where broadband access via cable modem does not exist; although cable networks are well equipped technologically, and digital cable TV is widely available, telecom legislation prohibits data transmission over pay TV networks; the government announced in December 2020 that it intended to introduce changes to the law to permit pay TV providers to offer internet and telephony packages over their own networks; all three operators offer mobile broadband through 3G and LTE networks; operators have achieved nationwide 3G coverage and the number of mobile broadband subscribers continues to grow; at the end of 2019, spectrum in the 5G-suitable range was auctioned, enabling operators to launch 5G services; the regulator is working on a spectrum and connectivity policy that emphasizes 5G (2021)
domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; nationwide microwave radio relay network; overall fixed-line roughly 35 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity 131 per 100 persons (2020)
international: country code - 598; landing points for the Unisor, Tannat, and Bicentenario submarine cable system providing direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina; Bicentenario 2012 and Tannat 2017 cables helped end-users with Internet bandwidth; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2020)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

general assessment:: Uruguay has an advanced telecom market, with excellent infrastructure and one of the highest broadband penetration rates in Latin America;
fixed-line teledensity is also particularly high for the region, while mobile penetration is the second highest after Panama;
in terms of computer penetration, Uruguay tops all other countries in the region by a considerable margin, and this has facilitated growth in fixed-line broadband adoption;
the government and telecom regulator have introduced a range of measures to help develop the deployment of fiber infrastructure, partly in a bid to encourage economic growth and stimulate e-commerce;
fiber accounted for about 77% of all fixed and fixed-wireless broadband connections as of June 2020;
with investment projected to reach $800 million, the state-owned incumbent Antel is expected to provide national FttP coverage by early 2022;
together with the FttP network, the opening of the submarine cable system in early 2012 and August 2017 have helped boost Uruguay’s internet bandwidth, and increase the data rate available to end-users;
Uruguay is one of the very few Latin American countries where the local fixed-line market is neither privatized nor liberalized;
other segments of the telecom market have been opened to competition, including international long-distance telephony, mobile telephony, and fixed-wireless broadband;
Uruguay is also one of the few countries in the world where broadband access via cable modem does not exist;
although cable networks are well equipped technologically, and digital cable TV is widely available, telecom legislation prohibits data transmission over pay TV networks;
the government announced in December 2020 that it intended to introduce changes to the law to permit pay TV providers to offer internet and telephony packages over their own networks;
all three operators offer mobile broadband through 3G and LTE networks;
operators have achieved nationwide 3G coverage and the number of mobile broadband subscribers continues to grow;
at the end of 2019, spectrum in the 5G-suitable range was auctioned, enabling operators to launch 5G services;
the regulator is working on a spectrum and connectivity policy that emphasizes 5G (2021)
domestic:: fixed-line is 36 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity 140 per 100 persons (2021)
international:: country code - 598;
landing points for the Unisor, Tannat, and Bicentenario submarine cable system providing direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina;
Bicentenario 2012 and Tannat 2017 cables helped end-users with Internet bandwidth;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2020)

general assessment: Uruguay has an advanced telecom market, with excellent infrastructure and one of the highest broadband penetration rates in Latin America; fixed-line teledensity is also particularly high for the region, while mobile penetration is the second highest after Panama; in terms of computer penetration, Uruguay tops all other countries in the region by a considerable margin, and this has facilitated growth in fixed-line broadband adoption; the government and telecom regulator have introduced a range of measures to help develop the deployment of fiber infrastructure, partly in a bid to encourage economic growth and stimulate e-commerce; fiber accounted for about 77% of all fixed and fixed-wireless broadband connections as of June 2020; with investment projected to reach $800 million, the state-owned incumbent Antel is expected to provide national FttP coverage by early 2022; together with the FttP network, the opening of the submarine cable system in early 2012 and August 2017 have helped boost Uruguay’s internet bandwidth, and increase the data rate available to end-users; Uruguay is one of the very few Latin American countries where the local fixed-line market is neither privatized nor liberalized; other segments of the telecom market have been opened to competition, including international long-distance telephony, mobile telephony, and fixed-wireless broadband; Uruguay is also one of the few countries in the world where broadband access via cable modem does not exist; although cable networks are well equipped technologically, and digital cable TV is widely available, telecom legislation prohibits data transmission over pay TV networks; the government announced in December 2020 that it intended to introduce changes to the law to permit pay TV providers to offer internet and telephony packages over their own networks; all three operators offer mobile broadband through 3G and LTE networks; operators have achieved nationwide 3G coverage and the number of mobile broadband subscribers continues to grow; at the end of 2019, spectrum in the 5G-suitable range was auctioned, enabling operators to launch 5G services; the regulator is working on a spectrum and connectivity policy that emphasizes 5G (2021)
domestic: ~~most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; nationwide microwave radio relay network; overall~~ fixed-line ~~roughly 35~~ is 36 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity ~~131~~ 140 per 100 persons ~~(2020)~~ (2021)
international: country code - 598; landing points for the Unisor, Tannat, and Bicentenario submarine cable system providing direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina; Bicentenario 2012 and Tannat 2017 cables helped end-users with Internet bandwidth; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2020)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

general assessment:: Uruguay has an advanced telecom market, with excellent infrastructure and one of the highest broadband penetration rates in Latin America;
fixed-line teledensity is also particularly high for the region, while mobile penetration is the second highest after Panama;
in terms of computer penetration, Uruguay tops all other countries in the region by a considerable margin, and this has facilitated growth in fixed-line broadband adoption;
the government and telecom regulator have introduced a range of measures to help develop the deployment of fiber infrastructure, partly in a bid to encourage economic growth and stimulate e-commerce;
fiber accounted for over 95% of all fixed and fixed-wireless broadband connections as of December 2023;
with investment projected to reach $800 million, the state-owned incumbent Antel is expected to provide national Fiber to the premises (FttP) coverage by 2023;
together with the FttP network, the opening of the submarine cable system in early 2012 and August 2017 have helped boost Uruguay’s internet bandwidth, and increase the data rate available to end-users;
changes in legislation in 2020 allowed cable companies to provide home internet service for the first time, ending the state monopoly;
Uruguay's regulator authorized five cable companies to provide broadband service;
while the country's broadband network is state owned, other segments of the telecom market have been opened to competition, including international long-distance telephony, mobile telephony, and fixed-wireless broadband;
cable networks are well equipped technologically, and digital cable TV is widely available, telecom legislation prohibits data transmission over pay TV networks;
all three operators offer mobile broadband through 3G and LTE networks;
operators have achieved nationwide 3G coverage and the number of mobile broadband subscribers continues to grow;
at the end of 2019, spectrum in the 5G-suitable range was auctioned, enabling operators to launch 5G services;
Uruguay's regulators held a 5G spectrum auction in June 2023;
the three incumbent operators each acquired 100 Ghz in the 3.5 GHz midband;
in 2023, Uruguay's state telecom has deployed hundreds of 5G radio bases, covering all regional capitals (2021)
domestic:: fixed-line is 36 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity 140 per 100 persons (2021)
international:: country code - 598;
landing points for the Unisor, Tannat, and Bicentenario submarine cable system providing direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina;
the Firmina cable, which landed in 2023, allowed for direct connectivity to the United States;
Bicentenario 2012 and Tannat 2017 cables helped end-users with Internet bandwidth;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2020)

general assessment: Uruguay has an advanced telecom market, with excellent infrastructure and one of the highest broadband penetration rates in Latin America; fixed-line teledensity is also particularly high for the region, while mobile penetration is the second highest after Panama; in terms of computer penetration, Uruguay tops all other countries in the region by a considerable margin, and this has facilitated growth in fixed-line broadband adoption; the government and telecom regulator have introduced a range of measures to help develop the deployment of fiber infrastructure, partly in a bid to encourage economic growth and stimulate e-commerce; fiber accounted for ~~about 77%~~ over 95% of all fixed and fixed-wireless broadband connections as of ~~June 2020;~~ December 2023; with investment projected to reach $800 million, the state-owned incumbent Antel is expected to provide national ~~FttP~~ Fiber to the premises (FttP) coverage by ~~early 2022;~~ 2023; together with the FttP network, the opening of the submarine cable system in early 2012 and August 2017 have helped boost Uruguay’s internet bandwidth, and increase the data rate available to end-users; ~~Uruguay is one of~~ changes in legislation in 2020 allowed cable companies to provide home internet service for the ~~very few Latin American countries where~~ first time, ending the ~~local fixed-line market~~ state monopoly; Uruguay's regulator authorized five cable companies to provide broadband service; while the country's broadband network is ~~neither privatized nor liberalized;~~ state owned, other segments of the telecom market have been opened to competition, including international long-distance telephony, mobile telephony, and fixed-wireless broadband; ~~Uruguay is also one of the few countries in the world where broadband access via~~ cable ~~modem does not exist; although cable~~ networks are well equipped technologically, and digital cable TV is widely available, telecom legislation prohibits data transmission over pay TV networks; ~~the government announced in December 2020 that it intended to introduce changes to the law to permit pay TV providers to offer internet and telephony packages over their own networks;~~ all three operators offer mobile broadband through 3G and LTE networks; operators have achieved nationwide 3G coverage and the number of mobile broadband subscribers continues to grow; at the end of 2019, spectrum in the 5G-suitable range was auctioned, enabling operators to launch 5G services; ~~the regulator is working on~~ Uruguay's regulators held a 5G spectrum ~~and connectivity policy that emphasizes~~ auction in June 2023; the three incumbent operators each acquired 100 Ghz in the 3.5 GHz midband; in 2023, Uruguay's state telecom has deployed hundreds of 5G radio bases, covering all regional capitals (2021)
domestic: fixed-line is 36 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity 140 per 100 persons (2021)
international: country code - 598; landing points for the Unisor, Tannat, and Bicentenario submarine cable system providing direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina; the Firmina cable, which landed in 2023, allowed for direct connectivity to the United States; Bicentenario 2012 and Tannat 2017 cables helped end-users with Internet bandwidth; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2020)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Uruguay: Telecommunication systems.” The World Factbook, 1990–2024 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/uruguay/telecommunication-systems.

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