Qtel nears Mesh partner decision, Honduras rural pilot

August 9. US wireless solutions provider Qtel expects to decide by the end of this quarter on a vendor partner with which it will offer wireless mesh broadband technology platforms in Latin America, Qtel CEO John Puente told BNamericas.

The selection process is at an advanced stage and Qtel is piloting one vendor over the wireless broadband backbone it operates in Costa Rica, Puente said, adding that the goal is to deploy mesh networks in hotels, resorts and condominiums under the product name ABA Mesh.

Qtel has evolved from being a pure wireless broadband firm to become a business with multiple offerings mainly as a result of its merger with broadband applications firm Tekvoice. The merger should be completed by the end of August, Puente said, but the fusion has already enabled Qtel to add a security solution, VoIP and now an IP PBX offering to its portfolio. (more)

CAFTA Spotlight

U.S. workers need work? Go to El Salvador

A new program will staff call centers in Central American nation with American workers.

New York.  July 27.  In order to meet the demands of companies outsourcing their call centers to El Salvador, the Central American country is beginning a program to recruit its employees from an unlikely location: the United States.

The Salvadoran government's economic development organization has started a program called "Meet Your Roots" that "looks for children of Salvadorans born in the U.S. and Canada to reside and work temporarily in El Salvador in order to strengthen their identity and ties to the country," according to the organization's Web site.

While strengthening cultural ties, the Salvadoran who staffs call centers serving the U.S. market can earn up to $1,500 a month. (more)

Electricity company trying to recover three million lempira deficit

Tegucigalpa.  July 24. Three weeks after a six-member commission took over the management of the indebted Honduran National Electricity Company ENEE, many reforms are already underway. The purchase of 136,000 domestic electric meters has been initiated - they will then be installed in the many Honduran homes where the electricity consumption is not measured and hence not paid for. ENEE is also acquiring gear for remote measuring as well as security equipment that will be placed in high consumption places such as factories in order to put a stop to the illicit consumption of electricity. That will hopefully reduce the annual loss of almost 500 million lempiras due to insufficient billing.  (more)

HSBC buys Panama bank for $1.8B

Panama City. July 21. European banking giant HSBC have agreed a friendly $1.77 billion takeover on Thursday of Panama's Grupo Banistmo, the biggest banking group in Central America, further boosting its presence in Latin America.

Under the all-cash offer, HSBC Holdings will pay Grupo Banistmo stockholders $52.63 per share -- a 25 percent premium on its closing price on Thursday. (more)

Gildan to cut 60 jobs in North America as production ramps up in Honduras

Montreal. July 13.  T-shirt and sweatshirt maker Gildan Activewear Inc. (TSX:GIL) will be cutting more than 60 jobs at its textile facilities in Valleyfield, Que., and Bombay, N.Y., as it ramps up production in Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

The Montreal-headquartered company is reducing operations at the two North American facilities to a five-day work week, starting in August. (more)

Multifon gains control of telephony

Honduras, 13 Mar (Honduras This Week) - In a deal worth 39,500,000 lempiras, the Honduran company Multifon took control of telephone communications throughout the country.  This deal allows Multifon to offer greater coverage in areas of lower population density, where Multifon hopes to expand its services to 150, 000 lines to meet market demand. The Multifon telephony company gained permission to operate the services of telephony from the National Commission of Telecommunications, Conatel. According to Rasel Tome, president of Conatel, "Through this deal, more of the population will be connected, and all business will be conducted with total transparency."