Entel Chile is the largest telecommunications company in Chile, established in 1964 by the Chilean government with the objective to improve long distance communications, enhance telecommunications quality within the country, and construct a robust network infrastructure to replace the old one damaged by an earthquake. The company was initially involved in data transmission and communications service, and long-distance telecommunications. It also constructed the National Centre for Telecommunications, also known as Torre Entel in Santiago, which serves as the central node. The privatisation process of Entel began in 1986 and concluded in 1992. In 1993, Group Chilquinta obtained a 19.99% ownership stake in the company, and in 1996, Telecom Italia also acquired a 19.99% share. By 2001, Telecom Italia had increased its stake to 54.76%. Entel's shares form a significant part of the Chilean stock market, with pension funds, international funds, and individuals holding the shares.
3G Network
The company launched a 3G HSPA+ network over B2 (1900 MHz) in December 2006.
3G Frequency Bands
| Network Frequency Band | Status |
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Active
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3G Network Events
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Launch of 3G Network
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Launch
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4G Network
In March 2014 Entel launched 4G LTE over B7 (2600 MHz) after securing 20 MHz (paired) of 2.6 GHz spectrum in July 2012. APT700 spectrum was introduced by the national regulator in May 2016, and Entel subsequently launched a B28 (700 MHz) LTE-A network, using carrier aggregation to provide up to 300 Mbps downlink.
4G Frequency Bands
| Network Frequency Band | Max. Channel Bandwidth | Status |
|---|---|---|
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20
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Active
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20
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Active
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15
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Active
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4G Network Events
| Date | Event | Subtype |
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Launch of 4G Network
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Launch
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5G Network
Through strategic partnership with Ericsson, Entel announced in October 2017 its intention to deploy Massive MIMO, a first for Chile, and a number of network modernisation projects to push forward towards 5G. The company conducted further tests in partnership with Ericsson, with a June 2018 5G test achieving 24 Gbps over the n257 (28 GHz) band. The tests also included a showcasing of advanced 5G technologies that include massive MIMO, massive beamforming, distributed MIMO, multi-user MIMO, and Beam Tracking. Entel was awarded 400 MHz of 28 GHz spectrum for mmWave deployment.
The network was commercially launched in December 2021.
5G Frequency Bands
| Network Frequency Band | Max. Channel Bandwidth | Status |
|---|---|---|
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50
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Active
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5G Network Events
| Date | Event | Subtype |
|---|---|---|
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Launch of 5G Network
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Launch
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