How 5G arrived in Colombia: the December 2023 auction
5G (the fifth generation of mobile technology) formally launched in Colombia with the spectrum auction held by the Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies (MinTIC) on December 20, 2023. Spectrum is the set of radio frequencies that mobile signals travel on; without it, no operator can provide service.
After nine rounds of bidding, four 80 MHz blocks were awarded in the 3,500 MHz band, the most widely used band for 5G worldwide:
- Claro, which also secured additional spectrum in the 2,500 MHz band.
- The Movistar-Tigo joint venture, which shares a network.
- WOM.
- Telecall, a Brazilian operator that entered the country through this process.
The low bands also on offer (700 MHz, 1,900 MHz and extended AWS) received no bids. The process raised about 1.3 trillion Colombian pesos and, instead of paying everything in cash, part of the amount was converted into social obligations: bringing fiber-optic internet to 1,191 schools for 20 years and improving 4G coverage along some 700 kilometers of highways. The award resolutions were signed in February 2024, and that same month the first operators switched on their commercial networks.
Where 5G is in Colombia today
Rollout has moved fast in terms of users, but it remains concentrated in cities. These are MinTIC's most recent official figures:
- September 2025: 2,462 5G base stations (the antennas that broadcast the signal) in 148 municipalities, and about 7 million connections.
- March 2026: the country reached 10 million 5G connections, up 7.7% from the previous quarter. Even so, the technology is concentrated in about 12% of municipalities.
- Mid-2026: MinTIC's four-year review reports 5G stations operating in about 209 municipalities.
One important detail: a “connection” is a line, not a person, and 4G is still the country's main network, with tens of millions of connections. In practice, 5G is available in state capitals and mid-sized cities (Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Bucaramanga, among others) and only in specific areas of each, not across the whole urban area. That's why it's worth checking each operator's coverage map at the exact address of your office or warehouse.
4G vs. 5G, explained without jargon
Think of the mobile network as a highway. 4G is a good road, but with few lanes: it works well until it fills up. 5G adds three improvements:
- More speed: more lanes, and wider ones, so heavy data (video, drawings, backups) downloads and uploads much faster.
- Lower latency: latency is how long the network takes to respond. With 5G that delay shrinks, which is key for controlling machines remotely or for calls and video calls without dropouts.
- More devices at once: it supports many more connected devices in the same area, from phones to sensors. This opens the door to IoT (the Internet of Things, meaning objects that send data on their own).
5G also enables network slicing: the operator can reserve a portion of the network with guaranteed conditions for a specific customer or use. Keep in mind: many of these advanced capabilities depend on the operator having deployed so-called standalone 5G (standalone), which is being rolled out in stages.
What changes for businesses: real-world uses
For most businesses, the first change is simple: faster, more stable data wherever there's coverage. But the highest-impact uses are in specific industries:
- Private 5G networks: your own mobile network inside a plant, port or mine, with full control over security and performance.
- Industry and manufacturing: sensors on machines for predictive maintenance, robots, and camera-based quality control.
- Mining and energy: remote equipment monitoring and remote operation in hazardous areas.
- Logistics and transportation: real-time fleet and cargo tracking, automated warehouse inventory.
- Customer service: mobile agents, points of sale and field teams with a more reliable connection for voice, video and cloud applications.
For example, a logistics company with a warehouse in Funza and 40 delivery vehicles in Bogotá can install sensors on its trucks and readers in the warehouse that report every movement instantly. Its drivers use 5G phones to confirm deliveries with a photo and signature, and when a customer calls asking about an order, the call comes into a business number that routes it to available agents, who can see on screen where the truck is. The fast network makes all this happen without delays; the cloud system is what keeps it organized.
What your business needs to take advantage of 5G
- Compatible devices: phones, modems or routers that support 5G and, in particular, the 3,500 MHz band (known as n78). Not every imported “5G” device works with the bands used in Colombia, so check the spec sheet.
- Coverage at your sites: confirm actual coverage with the operator at each address, not just in the city.
- An enabled plan: ask whether your corporate plan already includes 5G access.
- Cloud applications: the network is the road; the benefit comes when your tools (phone system, CRM, chat support) live in the cloud and can be used from anywhere.
- A 4G fallback: where there's no 5G, devices switch back to 4G automatically. Design your processes to work well on both.
What about 6G?
6G already has a roadmap, although it doesn't exist commercially yet. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN body that sets global frameworks, published the IMT-2030 framework in December 2023, defining what the sixth generation must achieve: immersive communications, connectivity anywhere, built-in use of artificial intelligence and the ability for the network to “sense” its surroundings, among others. In 2026 the ITU made progress on the minimum technical requirements.
Meanwhile, 3GPP, the global partnership that writes the technical standards for mobile networks, approved in 2026 the timeline for Release 21, the version that will specify the first 6G: its final freeze is expected between late 2028 and March 2029. With that, the industry is targeting the first commercial services around 2030. For a Colombian business, the message is clear: 5G is the network of this decade, and it's worth taking advantage of it now.
How to make the most of better networks with 19 80 TIC Cloud
A faster network only pays off if your tools are ready to use it. At 19 80 TIC Cloud, a Mobile Virtual Network Operator partnered with Suma Móvil, we work on existing mobile networks so businesses in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru get the most out of every connectivity improvement, without depending on the infrastructure of a single office.
- Mobile virtual numbers that take many calls at once and can work as your company's official WhatsApp.
- Cloud PBX and call center platform so your agents can work from the office, from home or on the road.
- AI voice agents that answer, screen and schedule, integrated with your CRM or ERP.
- WhatsApp customer service, SMS and voice messages, plus international numbers.
While 5G keeps growing, your business number and cloud services work just as well on 4G, and take advantage of the extra speed wherever coverage already exists. If you'd like to know how to apply this to your operation, talk to an advisor and we'll help you design the solution for your industry.
