The mobile phone market in Panama is facing growing scrutiny after specialists and users warned that the sector has become practically concentrated in two operators, a situation that limits competition and leaves consumers with few real alternatives. Currently, companies Tigo and Más Móvil dominate most of the mobile phone business in the country, which analysts say creates a scenario close to a duopoly where users have few options when plans change or rates increase. The concern has resurfaced following the announcement of new adjustments to mobile phone plans for 2026, which raised alarms among consumers and free competition specialists. The warning from La Verdad Panamá in 2024 was not the first alert. In 2024, La Verdad Panamá gave the initial warning about the first significant increase in prepaid data packages when both companies changed the popular plan that allowed for seven days of browsing for five dollars. The modification meant the package would cost six dollars for seven days, while those who decided to keep the five-dollar payment received fewer days of service, which in practice represented an increase in the cost of mobile internet access for thousands of users. At that time, the publication warned that the change directly affected a large portion of customers who depend on these packages to stay connected. X-ray of mobile phone rate increases: First increase reported (2024) — Before, prepaid data was $5 for 7 days, then it went to $6 for 7 days; if you wanted to keep the $5 payment, they only gave you five days of data. Consumer rights specialists warn that when a market is concentrated in a few operators, users end up facing similar conditions regardless of which company they choose to switch to. In this scenario, thousands of Panamanians continue to depend on a market where effective competition remains a subject of debate and where changing operators does not necessarily represent a significant difference in prices or service conditions. For many users, the reality is clear: in a market dominated by two telecommunications giants, the options to escape the increases are increasingly limited. Authorities have halted the price hikes. After these adjustments to mobile phone plans became known, the Authority for Consumer Protection and Competition Defense (ACODECO) ordered the temporary suspension of the new increases while it advances an investigation to determine if the modifications could constitute practices that affect free competition or violate consumer rights. The entity's action is backed by Law 45 of 2007, which regulates consumer protection and free competition in the country. Article 105 of this legislation empowers the authority to order the provisional suspension of any act or practice that may violate the law, even before a judicial process concludes, when there is a risk of affecting consumers. The legislation also provides for sanctions for economic agents who disregard the authority's decisions.
