subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17.2 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 1,165,373
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 34.47 (2019 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 56,352,947
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 124.98 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 4,779,787
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 141.39 (2019 est.)
Internet country code
.ar
.uy
Internet users
total: 33,203,320
percent of population: 74.29% (July 2018 est.)
total: 2,300,557
percent of population: 68.28% (July 2018 est.)
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: Argentina has one of the most vigorous mobile markets in Latin America; with additional operators in the market, mobile penetration fell in 2020 as incentives for multiple-SIM card ownership eased; LTE with tests of 5G; government plan to boost fixed broadband coverage nationally and declared TV, cable, and mobile services were essential public services; submarine system linking Sao Paolo and Rio De Janeiro with Buenos Aires is operational; national operator increased investment in Uruguay; importer of broadcasting equipment from China (2021) (2020)
domestic: 17 per 100 fixed-line, 131 per 100 mobile-cellular; microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network (2019)
international: country code - 54; landing points for the UNISUR, Bicentenario, Atlantis-2, SAm-1, and SAC, Tannat, Malbec and ARBR submarine cable systems that provide links to Europe, Africa, South and Central America, and US; satellite earth stations - 112 (2019)
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:
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 (2021)
(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
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 8,793,181
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 19.5 (2019 est.)
total: 1,012,410
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29.95 (2019 est.)
Broadcast media
government owns a TV station and radio network; more than 2 dozen TV stations and hundreds of privately owned radio stations; high rate of cable TV subscription usage
mixture of privately owned and state-run broadcast media; more than 100 commercial radio stations and about 20 TV channels; cable TV is available; many community radio and TV stations; adopted the hybrid Japanese/Brazilian HDTV standard (ISDB-T) in December 2010 (2019)
