August 1st marks the launch date of Firefox OS devices in Colombia and Venezuela. The User Research team went to Colombia to meet some of our first users and learn about how they experience these new devices in contract to their previous feature phones . Intensive field research always requires good knowledge about the field conditions. For all of you who ask why Colombia has been such an interesting location, here are some facts from our secondary research.
Internet in Colombia
With an Internet penetration of 46%, broadband access dominates in Colombia. This comprises fixed access higher than 1.024kbps as well as 3G/4G mobile Internet access. Promoted by the government’s program “Vive Digital”, broadband access has significantly increased and is expected to grow until the program will end in 2016. One of the main activities online in Colombia is Social Networking, especially on Facebook. More than 17mio Colombian users are registered on Facebook.
Fact sheet Internet in Colombia
The Mobile Market in Colombia
The mobile market in Colombia is dominated by three operators, namely Claro, Movistar, and Tigo. These three companies combine 99% market share. Also the mobile evolution is supported by the “Vive Digital” program. Within one year, the subscriptions to mobile Internet have grown by more than 20%. As in Brazil, it is common in Colombia to have more than one device. This leads to a market penetration of 104% – and this is still expected to grow. Interestingly, most of the contracts are prepaid contracts.
Fact sheet Colombian Mobile Market