# Overview of Mobile Communications in Colombia and Introduction to 5G
## 2 Methodology  
An exhaustive search in specialized databases did not find any articles that present in detail the current situation of the mobile wireless communications sector in Colombia, which makes this document a valuable tool for all those interested in using cellular networks as a communication or business strategy. Globally, the information found is more extensive and widely used as reference material, such as the Ericsson Mobility Report [47]. Some reports by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) also addressed the issue in a global and Latin American framework, but with a focus on 5G networks. For example, in [48] they set out the organization's views on the use of radio spectrum, while in [49] they discuss the use of the 3.3 to 3.8 GHz frequency range for 5G in Latin America. As for the Colombian case, some review articles have presented analyses of the possibilities for the use of cellular networks in Colombia, but like the GSMA, they have focused on 5G [25; 45; 50].  
The information used in this research comes from three sources. The first belongs to the documents on the websites of the state entities in charge of managing public telecommunications policy: MinICT, the National Spectrum Agency (ANE), and the Communications Regulatory Commission (CRC). In addition, queries were sent to these bodies via the e-mail addresses that have been set up for citizens to request different types of information. The second source of information corresponds to the information published by private organizations (operators, associations, and collectives) and is available through their websites of each of them. The rest of the information was extracted from scientific articles, conference papers, books, and book chapters resulting from the SCOPUS database search. The terms used in the search strings were: \"2G\", \"3G\", \"4G\", \"5G\", \"agriculture\", \"Colombia\", \"education\", \"frequency bands\", \"health\", \"MIMO\", \"mobile operators\", \"mobile telecommunications networks\", \"OFDM\", \"policy\", \"security\", \"spectrum\". This consultation was limited to its initial appearance in the titles, abstract, and keywords. To further refine the large number of documents available, additional filters were used in the selection of the information, which can be found in Table 2.  
Finally, the information collected was analyzed and recorded. In total, 105 references were used as sources for this article. A total of 32 correspond to documents or web pages of Colombian state entities (e.g., MinICT, CRC and ANE), 6 come from associations or organizations formed by different countries (United Nations, multilateral banking, ITU), 19 correspond to reports or web pages of private entities (manufacturers, operators, and private associations), and 54 correspond to documents extracted from the SCOPUS search.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c} \hline \hline
**Filters** & **Selection Criteria Applied** \\ \hline Document type & Conference paper, article, review, book chapter, \\  & conference review, book \\ Year & 2017–2022 \\ Publication stage & Final \\ Source type & Journal, conference proceedings, book series, book \\ Language & English \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 2: Information selection criteria applied in search strings.