Venezuela's National Telecommunications Commission (Comision Nacional de Telecomunicaciones, Conatel) has released its "National Telecommunications Plan 2023-2025", which sets goals for the coming years. Among other goals, the regulator wants to phase out 2G connections by the end of 2025. TeleGeography notes that state-backed Movilnet is the only cellular company still operating a 2G network after Movistar and Digitel took steps to decommission their respective networks in recent years. Digitel begins shutting down 2G in May 2021, followed by Movistar on July 1, 2022.
With 2G on its way out, 2,100 new 4G cellular base stations are expected to be deployed by 2025 to meet the growing demand for faster download speeds, meaning that 90% of the population will have access to LTE connectivity by then. In terms of 5G technology, Conatel believes that 5G pilot projects will take place by the end of 2023, with a 700MHz migration program also expected to be launched this year. A public tender for 5G spectrum will take place in 2024.
In terms of fixed-line targets, Conatel hopes to achieve 1.8 million fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) subscribers by the end of 2025. The regulator expects to add 500,000 FTTH subscribers in 2023, then another 600,000 in 2024 and another 700,000 by 2025. conatel expects the country's ISPs to deploy 65,000 kilometers of fiber within those three years.
