Colombia's Mobile Phone Subscribers Up 3.7% In 3Q To 42.34 Million

The number of mobile-telephone subscribers in Colombia rose to 42.34 million at the end of September, up 3.7% from 40.82 million at the end of June as the largest operator, Comcel SA, owned by Mexico's America Movil SA (AMX), gained customers, the country's antitrust agency said late Tuesday.

Comcel, the Colombian unit of Mexico-based America Movil SAB (AMX), grabbed the biggest slice of the market with 29.53 million subscribers, up from 27.93 million at the end of June, the regulator said. Comcel controlled 69.7% of the Colombian market, up from 68.4% three months earlier.

There are about 45 million people living in Colombia.

Comcel took market share from its main competitor, Telefonica's local unit.

Telefonica reported 8.81 million subscribers at the end of September, down from 9.03 million subscribers at the end of June. The market share of Telefonica in Colombia is 20.8%, down from 22.1% at the end of June.

Colombia Movil SA, the local unit of Millicom International Cellular SA (MICC), had 4 million subscribers, up from 3.86 million at the end of June. The country's third-largest operator maintained its 9.5% share of the Colombian market.

The total number of subscribers in Colombia at the end of September 2009 was 13% higher than at the end of September 2008.

-By Inti Landauro, Dow Jones Newswires; 57-1-610 70 44 Ext. 1131; [e-mail]