Over 100 years of experience in the market speak for Compañía Nacional de Teléfonos, Telefónica del Sur, the leading supplier of telecommunication services in the south of Chile.

The company is the direct concession holder for public service telephony in the 8th, 9th, and 11th regions with a total of 178,168 lines servicing commercial and residential clients in cities such as Concepción, Temuco, Osorno, Puerto Montt and Coyhaique, to name just a few.

Its services range from voice transmission to interconnection services and data transmission, covering a wide variety of band widths attuned to client requirements. To optimize its service, Telefónica del Sur has developed a number of independently operating subsidiaries, including Telsur Call Center, Telefónica del Sur Seguridad, Teléfonos de Coyhaique, Telefónica del Sur Intermedios and, since 2002, Blue Two Chile.

As a long-distance carrier, through its 121 Telefónica del Sur multi-carrier brand, the company relies on its modern fiber optic network to provide both national and international long-distance services. In Internet, Telefónica del Sur has invested in the most advanced technology on the market, and so has become a pioneer in direct access delivery of Internet and broadband ADSL.

Blue Two Chile is worthy of special mention for having launched last year a revolutionary wireless communication system. With assistance from the government’s development and innovation foundation (FDI-Corfo), the company installed the first network of wireless access points for broadband Internet reception in Chile. The network became the first public access system in the world based on WiFi and Bluetooth technology.

The new network means that people who move around a lot or travel for business can convert dead time into productive time by allowing them to make wireless connections from their laptops and electronic agendas (PDAs) to their homes or offices. Telefónica del Sur has installed various access points (known as “hot spots”) around the country, starting with the main airports, hotels, service stations, cafés, restaurants and shopping malls, and going on to conference centers and public buildings. Clients at these hot spots can connect to the Internet and use services such as document-sharing, without time limits, from their portable computer equipment.

At this point it is worth noting that in recent years the telecommunications industry in Chile has undergone a deep transformation process. These changes have taken place partly due to modifications of the legal framework aimed at encouraging competition and moderating the power of the old monopolies. They can also be attributed to constant technological innovation, which has essentially determined new uses and mediums for the development of long distance transmission.

Given all this, Telefónica del Sur currently finds itself implementing a development plan that will allow it to take advantage of its favorable commercial position and strong technological platform. In effect, it will include the development of multi-service platforms, with a wide range of products, and more intensive use of existing networks, with the eventual expansion of these into other geographical areas.