Entel in Peru

The figures here come from OSIPTEL, Peru’s telecoms regulator, from the Entel group’s own reports and pages, and from the trade press, each with its date.

From Nextel to Entel

Entel is a Chilean telecoms group. In 2013 it bought all the shares of Nextel Perú for USD 400 million, and through Americatel Perú it won block B of the AWS band, 40 MHz, for 4G. In October 2014 Nextel Perú took the Entel name, and the new brand arrived with 4G service. The group counted 1,738,450 customers in Peru at the end of 2014. The company that runs the network is Entel Perú S.A., which the group’s annual report lists among its subsidiaries.

How many lines does Entel carry?

At the end of June 2026, 22.72% of Peru’s mobile lines with traffic in the past three months ran on Entel, by OSIPTEL’s count. In March 2026 the figure was 22.54%. Number porting added lines in September 2026: Entel received 150,910 from other operators and lost 140,111, a net gain of 10,799.

OSIPTEL also scores each network’s 4G on speeds, latency, packet loss and time connected. In August 2026 Entel’s 4G scored 80.76% on that index, against a national average of 79.84%.

Where Entel has 5G

Entel’s first 5G was fixed wireless internet for homes, offered in March 2021 at first in one Lima district, Surquillo. Mobile 5G followed in April 2021, when its coverage was in parts of Lima, Arequipa, Trujillo and Chiclayo. In the 2025 auction Entel Perú S.A. won 100 MHz in the 3.5 GHz band. For 2026 the group planned more than USD 220 million of network spending in Peru, as it deepens its 5G rollout there and in Chile.

The 2025 auction also set Entel’s building duties: 4G for 445 rural localities and along 530 km of road corridors, within four years of the contract. It added 5G service for 40 level III hospitals, 14 national universities and 16 schools.

Satellite texts beyond the towers

In December 2025 Entel Perú switched on Starlink’s Direct to Cell satellite service. Its page says the service keeps a phone in touch in places with no Entel land coverage, for satellite text messages and a set of compatible apps. It works outdoors, with a direct view of the sky, across Peru up to the last 50 km before a land or sea border. The phone must support the service and run up-to-date software. Entel offers it on postpaid plans and includes it at no extra cost until 31 December 2026.

Buying an Entel line as a visitor

OSIPTEL tightened the rules for new lines from 22 November 2025, as temporary measures tied to the state of emergency. Each person may take out only one mobile line every 30 days with each operator, whatever the sales channel. A prepaid line that carries no traffic in the three days after activation is cancelled, so use the line as soon as it is switched on.

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