Business conferences are like orchestras: they convey collectively many sounds which can be laborious for the untrained ear to distinguish.
We at TeleGeography are well-equipped to take heed to the various melodies sung at telecom trade gatherings. Most just lately, I joined colleagues in São Paulo to debate regional tendencies on the Capability LATAM occasion.
Should you couldn’t make it to Brazil this 12 months—or you’re nonetheless piecing collectively all the pieces you heard on the convention—there are 4 key notes I’d emphasize.
My Truthful Community Expansions
Following a number of years of comparatively few submarine cable initiatives in Latin America, the state of affairs is starting to shift. A number of new submarine cable methods are within the planning course of, with some cables practically prepared to start laying cable on the ocean flooring.
As we mentioned at Capability LATAM final 12 months, connectivity to Mexico is a crucial issue shaping the place these new cables will land. A number of of the deliberate cable methods that we heard about at this 12 months’s occasion embody TAM-1 (anticipated to be prepared for service in 2025), CSN-1 (2026), TIKAL-AMX3 (2026), and MANTA (2027). Mixed with the announcement of CSN-2—which is able to incorporate connectivity between Mexico and the U.S. into Telconet’s Carnival system—we heard lots in regards to the robust demand to attach knowledge facilities round Querétaro, Mexico.
There are nonetheless some unanswered questions on how the ability grid will maintain the speedy progress of information facilities in Central Mexico. Nevertheless it appears clear that the necessity for improved connectivity within the area is a broadly shared precedence.
The Phantom of Diminishing Wavelength Costs
It’s hardly a novel remark to notice that the value of worldwide wavelengths is falling. However in some markets, worth erosion is much more pronounced than typical.
Miami–São Paulo is nicely generally known as the first transport route between Latin America and the US. And with its ample provide plus well-saturated competitors, costs on that route are frequently in regular decline. From 2022-2025, 100 Gbps on Miami–São Paulo fell 18%, compounded yearly. The under determine exhibits normal tendencies for this capability’s costs all through the area.
2022-2025 Capability Pricing
Different routes in Latin America are seeing equally quick worth erosion. For instance, Bogotá–Miami and Lima–Miami each noticed weighted median costs for 100 Gbps fall 19% from 2022-2025, compounded yearly. These are two markets that had been usually talked about as notably energetic. And for Buenos Aires–Miami, the typical worth for 100 Gbps fell 23%, compounded yearly over the identical interval.
These markets and others will expertise additional worth erosion as new submarine cable methods come on-line. Some notable examples embody Firmina, CSN-1, CSN-2, TAM-1, MANTA, TIKAL/AMX3, Lobster, and Challenge Waterworth.
Little Store of 400 Gbps Gross sales
Whereas costs are falling, demand for worldwide connectivity continues to develop. Although in Latin America, the speed of demand progress has decelerated. That helps clarify—not less than partially—why the adoption of 400 Gbps wavelengths within the area has been sluggish to develop.
We’ve heard of 400 Gbps gross sales occurring on main routes like Miami–São Paulo and Dallas–Mexico Metropolis. On the latter route, for instance, carriers providing 400 Gbps have reported costs between 3 to three.5 occasions that of 100 Gbps. However 100 Gbps remains to be the commonest capability in wholesale transactions and is prone to keep that means for the foreseeable future.
We anticipate hyperscalers to be a catalyst for 400 Gbps wavelength adoption within the area. In the intervening time, hyperscalers are usually finest positioned to barter massive contract phrases and buy at that degree of capability. As capability necessities enhance and extra sorts of purchasers turn into focused on 400 Gbps connectivity, we anticipate value benefits over 100 Gbps to enhance.
The Sound of Asset Divestment
Market consolidation was one other widespread matter at Capability Latin America 2025. And the exit of Telefónica and InterNexa from a number of key Latin American markets was maybe essentially the most outstanding instance of this.
As we’ve coated beforehand, Telefónica’s profile in Latin America has shifted drastically. Whereas the long-term implications of those modifications will fluctuate by market, the general image displays evolving funding patterns within the area.
Equally, InterNexa’s shift away from key Latin American markets—particularly, Chile, Brazil, and Argentina—signifies some carriers are prioritizing danger minimization over portfolio progress in the meanwhile. And contemplating Gold Information’s comparable exit from Panama, it’s clear that this sample shouldn’t be restricted to any single firm.
A main takeaway is that this area is seeing each new infrastructure and aggressive pricing arrive in a spread of markets, not simply well-established ones like Brazil. As these dynamics proceed to evolve, we’ll take note of who’s promoting—and who’s shopping for—spine connectivity to and inside Latin America, the Caribbean, and past.
Naturally, this information is already making its means into our analysis, notably our pricing instruments. I like to recommend taking a peek at a few of our newest updates to see this intel in motion. Or scope out my colleague Juan Velandia’s presentation on the state of the Latin American market.
