Latin America

Chile widens private 5G spectrum band, with Codelco first in line

Subtel extended the band for private industrial networks to 2,360 MHz. Use of the full 60 MHz requires more efficient technology; the announcement does not launch a public mobile service.

Chile's telecommunications undersecretariat, Subtel, announced a rule change for private industrial networks on 8 October. The band available to limited telecommunications services now extends from 2,300 to 2,360 MHz, a total width of 60 MHz. The agency says Codelco will be the first company to apply the change. This is a regulatory condition for industrial projects, not a measured expansion of public mobile coverage. [1][2]

A private network serves an organization's operations inside a defined area, for example by connecting equipment, sensors or processes at an industrial site. It is different from a commercial network open to a mobile operator's customers. Subtel said use of the full 60 MHz will require more efficient technology, such as 5G or above. Industrial applicants retaining 4G may request no more than 40 MHz within this band. The distinction concerns the technology used, not a promise of nationwide 5G availability. [1]

The authority also requires a bounded service area, including indoor spaces, and assessment of harmful interference with systems already authorized in the same or adjacent bands. Those conditions matter because spectrum cannot be treated as unlimited capacity: separate systems must coexist. The rule offers more room for industrial automation, sensors and data transmission, but each deployment still depends on its own technical conditions and authorization. [1]

Subtel identifies Codelco as the first user of the update and points to potential mining applications, including automation and artificial intelligence. The announcement does not name a specific mine or provide measurements from a new network or productivity results. It would therefore be inaccurate to say that all 60 MHz are already operating throughout Codelco's facilities. InfoNexo's coverage follows Subtel's announcement; it is a separate publisher but not independent field verification. [1][2]

For telecom professionals, the change establishes how much spectrum an industrial network may seek according to its technology and how tightly its coverage must be defined. Whether other companies request permits or publish measured use cases remains to be seen. Subtel names 5.5G and a future evolution toward 6G as technological possibilities. Its statement does not put a 6G network into service or remove the need for testing and authorization at individual sites. [1]

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