Chile's telecommunications regulator Subtel has granted mobile operators VTR and Nextel spectrum for provision of 3G services. The tender covered three blocks of 30 MHz in the 1700/2100 MHz frequency band. Nextel won two out of three blocks of spectrum up in the 1700/2100MHz frequency bands, while VTR won the remaining block. Nextel's total offer for spectrum blocks B and C reached USD 14.7 million, while VTR won block A with an offer of USD 3.02 million. The new licences aim to boost competition on the Chilean mobile telephony market, currently divided among Entel PCS, Movistar and Claro. The Chilean telecoms market currently reaches 15 million customers. According to Rene Cortazar, minister of transport and communications, the two licence winners have a maximum of one year – that is by the second half of 2010 – to complete their 3G networks deployment across the country.
