2024-05-04 09:33:45
More than ever, Hondurans are prioritizing internet spending on their mobile devices as a fundamental part of their budgets, even surpassing spending on grocery products.
This paradigm shift is reflected in a series of recent data provided by National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel), which reveals a marked trend towards digitization in the Central American country.
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According to data collected and analyzed by the Data Unit of THE PREMIUM PRESSBy the end of 2022, Honduras had experienced a significant increase of 4.98% in mobile phone lines, reaching a total of 7.9 million.
This explosion in the use of mobile devices means a cell phone density of 82.7%, meaning that approximately 82 out of every 100 Hondurans have a cell phone line.
However, what is most revealing is the change in the usage patterns of these cell phone lines.
Beyond the traditional mobile phone line (as there was an 11.56% reduction in call traffic), Hondurans are increasingly choosing digital options, such as calls and messages from applications such as WhatsApp or Telegram.
This change is also evident in the internet sector, where an increase of 1.42% in the number of mobile internet subscribers is observed, reaching a total of 6.8 million. In addition, fixed internet subscriber density has increased by 10.15%, with a total of 471,496 subscribers, indicating significant growth in the use of home internet services.
This increase in demand for mobile and fixed internet services has led to an estimated 2% reduction in the country’s digital divide, reaching a value of 46% of the population.
Regarding Internet providers in Honduras, the dominant presence of Tigo and Claro stands out, both in fixed and mobile Internet services; However, for the fixed connection and the cable TV service, there are a further 225 operator companies that compete strongly to offer the quality and quantity of broadband.
However, Honduras stands out for offering the most expensive internet service in the Latin American region. Data from the Numbeo platform as of 2023, analyzed by Bloomberg, shows that in the country, an average of 71 dollars (about 1,700 lempiras) is paid per month for 60 megabytes of internet.
Honduras is above Bolivia ($53.35) and the Dominican Republic ($49.84).
For Carlos Urbizo, economist, access to the internet is already a basic need for Hondurans. It mentions that the government should facilitate conditions such as free Wi-Fi throughout Honduras to reduce the cost of living and improve access to communication. “WiFi is like roads, making it easier for you to get from one place to another.”
Over time, Urbizo highlights that costs have improved for international calls, since in 2005 the cost was 83 cents per minute, the following year it fell to 39 and today it costs around 10 cents, “what better profit “That, the same can happen with electric energy,” alluding to the advantage of getting better commercial benefits from institutions such as Hondutel and the National Electric Energy Company (Enee).
Ismael Zepeda, another economic expert, also highlights that the connectivity of Hondurans is an opportunity for the digital economy and to simplify procedures and improve the efficiency of service delivery.
For Zepeda, this means “savings for the states, it can also mean efficiency and effectiveness in delivering services.”
In the same way, it highlights that within the base curve “the consumption of internet or calls had not been placed as an essential good; But today it is primarily a good.”
What has been said by experts and statistics show that Hondurans prioritize internet consumption, the trend towards digitization presents challenges and opportunities for the country, which must adapt and develop policies that promote digital inclusion and fair access to internet services throughout the national territory.
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