CANTV

CANTV (Compañía Anónima Nacional de Teléfonos de Venezuela) is the state-run telephone and internet service provider in Venezuela. It was one of the first telephone service enterprises in the country, founded in 1930. The largest telecommunications provider in Venezuela, it was privatized in 1991, and re-nationalized in 2007 by Hugo Chavez.

As of May 9, 2008, Cantv’s customer base numbered 10.1 million mobile subscribers, 5.2 million fixed telephony subscribers and 1 million broadband subscribers.[2]

History

Origins

In 1930 the "Ministerio de Fomento" under President Juan Vicente Gomez administration, granted a concession to Félix A. Guerrero to build and operate a telephone network in the Federal District and the States of the Union. With fellow shareholders Manuel Pérez Abascal, an entrepreneur, and Alfredo Damirón, an attorney, they registered Compañía Anónima Nacional Teléfonos de Venezuela on 20 June 1930.

On 31 December it became the local operating company for the assets of the Venezuelan Telephone and Electrical Appliances Company Limited, an English firm which had been operating in Venezuela for 40 years between Caracas and Puerto Cabello, San Juan de Los Morros, Ocumare del Tuy and Macuto

Subsidiaries

In addition to Phone service, other services provided by CANTV are divided into three subsidiaries wholly owned by CANTV, which handle internet access, cellular phone service, and directory services.

CANTV and CANTV.NET

Most of cantv wired telephone network rely over copper wire network, also known as POTS. In 2006 Cantv started offering VoIP, or Internet Phone Service to its broadband users, regardless of the fact that VoIP communication through Cantv is shoddy at best. Internet service in addition to dial-up, ISP Cantv.net, offers broadband access using ADSL technology and wireless broadband service through Movilnet's 3G network 1x EV-DO / UMTS / HSDPA in areas where the wired network does not reach the subscriber. It covers the major share of the Venezuelan broadband market, having reached 53% in 2001 and 76% in 2003, reaching more than 800.000 broadband access customers in 2007. Wireless connections, however have a 6 GB per month limit, a major blight upon claims that Venezuela's infrastructure is actually still developing. Currently there are plans to deploy Television Service over their wired broadband network (IPtv) in late 2011.

Movilnet

The mobile phone component of CANTV was founded in 1991. In its first year it reached about 21,000 clients while deploying an AMPS network over major cities in Venezuela. This network was then upgraded to TDMA in 1997. Movilnet offers wireless voice, data, and wireless fixed telephony, among many other services over its digital network. Today, Movilnet's wireless networks are based on 1xRTT CDMA2000, EV-DO in the 800 MHz frequency and a GSM / GPRS / EDGE / UMTS / HSDPA / LTE in the 850/1900 MHz. Both networks with nationwide coverage. In the present Movilnet has more than 1,450 1xRTT base stations, and about the same number in GSM, having more coverage than any other provider. Movilnet, reaching over 10 Million Subscribers in 2008, is also the largest Wireless service provider in Venezuela closely followed by Movistar.

Caveguías

Caveguías provides both printed and electronic directories for CANTV clients and subscribers.

type	Public
traded as	BVC: TDV.D
trade name	CANTV
foundation	July 20, 1930
location	Caracas, Venezuela
key people	Manuel Fernández Meléndez‡R1R‡ (President) Ernesto Paiva (CEO)
industry	Telecommunications
products	Wireline and wireless telecommunication Internet service provider
parent	Government of Venezuela
subsid	Movilnet
homepage	https://www.cantv.com.ve

History

Origins

Privatization and re-nationalization

Subsidiaries

CANTV and CANTV.NET

Movilnet

Caveguías

Controversy

Public surveillance

See also

External links

References