Spectrum management in Latin America

5G provides a unique opportunity to boost the economic transformation of Latin America, through the rollout of several use cases that will impact the region’s productivity and ability to improve the well-being of its citizens.

Effective spectrum management is crucial to unlock the economic benefits of this digital transformation. Typically, this means that sufficient spectrum needs to be made available to the market under conditions that enable investment and innovation in the deployment of new networks and services.

However, an analysis of 2,300 assignments across 112 countries and more than 300 operators globally since 2010 shows significant variation in spectrum prices in Latin America, which market factors cannot explain. This report finds that some governments in the region prioritise other goals above efficient spectrum management.