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Entel (Chile)

Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaiones S.A.
Sociedad Anónima
Traded as : ENTEL
Industry Telecommunications
Founded 1964
Headquarters Santiago, Chile
Areas served
Key people
Juan Hurtado Vicuña, (Chairman)
Richard Büchi Buc, (CEO)
Products Fixed line and mobile telephony, internet services, digital television
Revenue IncreaseUS$ 2.9 billion (2012)
DecreaseUS$ 348.6 million (2012)
Number of employees
4,505
Website www.entel.cl

Entel (Acronym for Empresa Nacional de TELecomunicaciones) is the largest Chilean telecommunications company. The company is known for the 127 meter high Torre Entel (Entel Tower) that rises high above central Santiago and constitutes one of the city's landmarks.

As of December 2013 Entel PCS had 38.8% of the Chilean mobile market. It was the first American operator to launch a GSM mobile network in 1997. In 2000, the Entel PCS network offered support for GPRS and in 2003 it added EDGE support.

Entel was started in 1964 by the Chilean government at the time to improve long distance, improve telecommunications quality within the country and build a network trunk to replace the old infrastructure badly damaged by an earthquake. Entel installed microwave networks in almost the entire national territory and built in 1968 a satellite station in Longovilo 40 miles south west of Santiago, a Latin American first.

Entel's activities initially were data transmission and communications service, long distance telecommunications according to the wishes of CORFO. The company built the National Center for Telecommunications, popularly known as Torre Entel in Santiago, which functions as the central node. After its privatization it was licensed to operate domestic services: cell phone, Entel PCS and land line, known as Entel Phone. It also offered Internet connectivity.


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