07 October 2025

Peru’s telecommunications landscape has advanced with four major mobile operators securing spectrum rights to deploy 5G services. Bitel, Claro, Entel, and Integratel have all obtained licenses following an auction process, while a fifth contender, Americatel, which had prequalified, did not participate in the bidding.

The spectrum auction focused on frequencies in the 3300-3800MHz band and employed a points-based system that rewarded companies based on their investment commitments rather than the highest bid amount. Vietnamese-owned Bitel emerged as the top scorer thanks to its proposal to expand coverage, earning it priority to select its preferred band segment. Bitel opted for the 3400–3500MHz band.

Bitel, the third-largest operator in Peru, has significantly increased its investments, which has contributed to its user base growing from 8.75 million at the end of 2024 to over 10.1 million by mid-2025. Meanwhile, market leader Claro secured the second-highest score and chose the 3500-3600MHz band, while Entel was awarded the 3300-3400MHz segment. Integratel acquired the 3600-3700MHz band.

Interestingly, the 3700-3800MHz block did not attract any bids, but it is anticipated that this spectrum could be utilized for private mining and port services in the future.

The investment commitments tied to these licenses, as outlined by Peru’s Ministry of Transport and Communications, include extending 4G coverage to 1,221 rural communities and deploying infrastructure along 1,699km of national highways. This underscores the ongoing importance of 4G connectivity for a large portion of Peru’s population, even as the country prepares to roll out 5G services.