Telecommunications and Infrastructure

Telecommunication and Infastructure

The phone provider in Venezuela is Company Anonima Nacional Telefonos de Venesuela (CANTV). They provide fixed, switch local telephone service, domestic and international long distance service using submarine cables and satellite and microwave links. CANTV also provides cellular services, paging service, public phone, rural messaging centers and private networks.

In 1995 Venezuela had 111 phone lines per 1000 people, this is an increase from the 1984 estimate of 66 lines per 1000. The World Bank estimates that there will be 155 lines per 1000 people by the year 2000. There were 18 mobile phones per 1000 people in 1995, and 180 television sets.

 Sources: World Development Indicators, 1997, World Bank

ITU World Telecommunications Indicators Database

 The Venezuelan telecommunications market has been growing steadily since 1991. It was during this year that all telecommunications sectors were liberalized, except for basic phone service. Basic phone service, which is controlled by the National Telephone Company (CANTV), was only partially privatized in 1991, and is due to become completely private in the year 2000.

CANTV provides fixed, switch local telephone services, domestic and international long distance service using submarine cables and satellite and microwave links. CANTV also provides cellular services, paging services, public phones, rural messaging centers and private networks.

Prior to 1991 the only telecommunications services available were telegraph, telex, paging, fax and phone. Customers had to suffer with poor and unreliable phone connections, and businesses could benefit from advanced telecommunications features.

Since 1991 the telecommunications industry has become the fastest growing industry in the country. It has grown 117% in the last five years. It is during this time that CONATEL, the Venezuelan Telecommunications Regulatory Agency has granted almost 180 concessions/licenses for services such as: