China’s Huawei, Billionaire Carlos Slim Offer Colombia 5G Pilots

Chinese telecom giants Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp., and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim’s America Movil are among companies proposing 5G pilot projects in Colombia, the first step in the country’s plan to build out the next-generation mobile network.

Colombia is choosing from more than 40 proposals it has received for small-scale 5G projects, said Sylvia Constain, minister of Information and Communication Technologies. The government has also received interest from companies like Millicom International Cellular SA and Spain’s Telefonica SA, as well as local governments and several other suitors, according to the ministry.

After awarding the pilot projects,...