Claro Colombia has signed a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) wholesale agreement with Movil Exito, the retailer-backed mobile brand connected to Colombia's Éxito retail group.

The deal was reported by Telecompaper. Financial terms, the launch date and the tariff structure remain undisclosed.

Who signed the deal?

Claro Colombia operates as the local subsidiary of Mexican telecom group América Móvil. It counts as Colombia's largest mobile operator by subscribers and runs the country's widest mobile network footprint, spanning 2G, 3G, 4G LTE and 5G NR technologies across licensed spectrum bands. It serves both prepaid and postpaid segments.

Movil Exito sits within the corporate structure of the Éxito retail group, one of Colombia's largest supermarket and department-store chains. The brand previously had limited mobile activity and is now positioned as a full MVNO.

What does the agreement cover?

Under the wholesale arrangement, Movil Exito will sell mobile services — voice, data and SMS — under its own brand while using Claro's network. Movil Exito will not hold spectrum or radio infrastructure of its own; instead, it pays Claro a wholesale rate per subscriber or per unit of usage.

The MVNO model separates retail customer ownership from network operations. Retail-affiliated MVNOs typically package connectivity with store discounts, loyalty points or co-branded credit cards to compete on price rather than on network reach.

What does Movil Exito bring to the Colombian market?

Movil Exito's parent group runs a national chain of supermarkets and department stores, giving the MVNO a built-in distribution channel and direct access to the country's existing retail loyalty programme. That footprint offers an edge over pure-digital MVNOs that rely on online subscriber acquisition.

If Movil Exito launches aggressive prepaid tariffs, it could pressure incumbents in price-sensitive segments. Its packaged approach — combining mobile with retail discounts — could also target family and loyalty-programme customers in higher-ARPU brackets.

Why have MVNOs struggled to scale in Colombia?

Colombia's Communications Regulatory Commission (CRC) and the Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies (MinTIC) established the MVNO framework to permit retail and niche entrants without requiring them to invest in spectrum or build base stations. Past MVNO operators include UNE EPM and Virgin Mobile Colombia, which ran services on competitor networks before exiting the market.

The MVNO segment has historically held a small share of the Colombian mobile market, where three mobile network operators — Claro, Tigo and WOM — dominate by subscribers. The MVNO route offers an alternative path to market for non-telecom brands seeking a mobile proposition.

What happens next?

Both companies are expected to publish commercial launch details, including tariff cards, bundled offers and a target subscriber base, in the coming months. Industry observers will track whether Movil Exito undercuts prepaid rivals or positions itself upmarket. The CRC has not issued any policy ruling tied to the agreement, and wholesale MVNO deals between dominant operators and niche brands in Colombia typically proceed without prior regulatory approval unless wholesale terms trigger a competition review.