a Catalyst For Digital and Social Transformation
Leaders at Tigo Paraguay understand how inclusion through technology can drive success. In Paraguay, Tigo has found an environment that supports innovation and entrepreneurship, and it has in turn become the number one international investor in Paraguay today. As Tigo expands, it is transforming the nation of 7 million people.
The midsize telecom operator is bringing broadband and mobile networks to individuals, households and businesses, schools and hospitals. Through its mobile money operation, it offers access to financial services in even the most isolated regions of the nation.
“Technology is a development accelerator,” says Tigo Paraguay CEO Jose Perdomo. “Allowing people in remote areas to connect to the internet is like providing them with water or electricity. This is social inclusion, and it’s what makes it fun to work in telecom here. Working with telecom in developing countries has a real impact. It is a game changer.”
Tigo Paraguay, 100% owned by Millicom, operates in eight countries in Latin America. With a presence in Paraguay since 1992, Tigo is one of the country’s biggest and most recognized brands. The company employs more Paraguayans and pays more in taxes than any other business in the country.
Paraguay is an important test market for new products and services. One of the most successful examples is Tigo Money, now used regularly by more than 1.3 million Paraguayans. “We are to banks what WhatsApp is to telecom: a disruption to the value chain,” Perdomo says. IDB named Tigo Money “the best mobile financial inclusion service” in Latin America earlier this year.
Tigo has also invested heavily in cable TV service and content production, with Tigo Sports now the main sports channel in the country. And Tigo recently launched a B2B service with a private cloud for businesses.
“These examples show that this is a country of innovation, and people are excited about making Paraguay a better place,” says Perdomo.