No Companies Bid in Panama's Tender for Third Mobile Phone Operator

Panama's effort to introduce a third mobile phone operator has hit a significant roadblock, as not a single company submitted a bid for the 20-year concession. The National Public Services Authority (ASEP) confirmed that the public bid opening on August 11th yielded no proposals, leaving the country's telecommunications sector with only two major players.

Alkin Saucedo, ASEP's national director of Telecommunications, stated that the authority will now review the tender's terms and conditions to decide whether to launch a second bidding process. The concession aimed to enhance competition in a market that has seen consolidation, particularly after the 2022 merger of Cable & Wireless Panamá S.A. (CWP) and Claro Panamá. This merger left Más Móvil (C&W) and Tigo as the dominant operators.

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We did not receive any proposals.

Adding to the market's reduced operator count, Digicel Panamá voluntarily liquidated and ceased operations in March 2024 after a previous tender for its service license in January 2023 also failed to attract bidders. The ASEP had highlighted the importance of this new concession, emphasizing the growing demand for data services and the strategic value of available spectrum for next-generation mobile services.

According to ASEP statistics from 2025, Panama boasts a mobile penetration rate of 111%, with over five million active lines. However, the lack of a third operator raises questions about future market dynamics, innovation, and the potential for increased consumer choice and service diversity.

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What proceeds now is the review of the process terms and determining if we will call for a second pre-qualification round in search of that third mobile cellular operator in Panama.