THEY LAUNCH A TRADE-IN PROGRAM FOR LOW-PRICED 4G CELL PHONES

The Argentine Government is advancing in the implementation of the so-called "Cellphone Exchange Plan" and estimates that in the next 90 days the renewal process will begin for some 7 million devices that will leave 2G technology to fully enter the 4G band.

Telephone operators and cell phone brands negotiate the price of the equipment.

The The initiative seeks to improve communications in Argentinaand as announced in February, it is expected that they will have a low cost and that they can be accessible, even to the most vulnerable sectors.

In that sense, the mobile phone service provider firms Movistar, Claro and Personal are cautious when it comes to providing specific details. "We are advancing in the definition of the plan, although we cannot yet establish values ​​for the equipment," they expressed from Movistar.

For their part, the electronic companies based in the province of Tierra del Fuego are ready to assemble the 2.5 million 4G mobile units that will become the first batch to be offered to the market. Among the main brands that will be part of the project are Samsung, Nokia and LG, among others.

Currently the country has 4 million 4G phones and the Government aspires to reach 10 million units with this technology by the end of 2016. In that sense, in addition to the price, the telephone companies are also discussing the extensive financing they will offer. A plan of up to 18 payment installments is planned.

The financing of the project, which is around US$ 100 million, will be absorbed entirely by the private firms involved in the initiative, according to government sources. In addition, the government denied that the financing for the project came from the World Bank.

On the other hand, the Government seeks to improve the communications service, which has serious flaws due to the lack of investment recorded in recent years. At the end of April, an agreement was signed between the Buenos Aires Government and the operators to authorize the installation of radio bases on the terraces of public buildings.

These new antennas with 4G technology will exclusively carry data traffic, which will lead to decongesting the 2G and 3G networks, which support voice and SMS calls.