Chile’s telecoms regulator Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones de Chile (Subtel) opened a public consultation into plans to increase competition in the country by forcing operators to offer more favourable terms to MVNOs.

The consultation opened yesterday, according to the country’s media, with news website La Tercera reporting comments from a Subtel representative outlining the importance of bringing new brands into the market to lower consumer prices and increase the range of services available.

Subtel added the new measures would also improve wholesale conditions for current MVNOs.

Chile’s telecoms market is dominated by its three largest operators – America Movil brand Claro, former state-owned Entel and Telefonica’s Movistar.

Between them, the trio deliver 92 per cent of the country’s 26.2 million non-M2M connections, according to GSMA Intelligence figures for Q2 2017. The country’s fourth MNO, WOM, accounts for the majority of the remainder.

MVNO market
Chile has a number of MVNOs already in operation including Virgin Mobile and Grupo GTD, which also offers business and domestic broadband services.

Earlier this year executives from Virgin Mobile and fellow MVNO Simple Moviles – which both use the Movistar network – were cited in Chilean media complaining the country’s virtual operators had been unfairly impacted by promotions and consumer price cuts from MNOs.

According to the brands, the lower fees offered to customers had not been matched by a fall in wholesale rates charged to them, limiting their ability to compete.