Inter Venezuela Taps Harmonic for 5G-Ready Fiber Backhaul as Network Demand Rises

Caracas, May 13, 2026, 14:02 (VET)

Inter Venezuela rolled out a nationwide XGS-PON mobile backhaul service, tapping Harmonic’s virtualized core and fiber gear for the job, Harmonic announced. The goal: give mobile operators cheaper and faster connectivity as Venezuela gears up for more dense 5G infrastructure. XGS-PON, a fiber access tech, enables high-capacity data transfer—critical for backhaul, which routes traffic from cell towers to a broader network.

Timing is key here: 5G deployments demand extra fiber near radio sites. According to Telecompaper, this service offers an option besides dedicated cellular links—those tend to cost more, and they’re not as adaptable when operators ramp up site count to support bigger data loads.

The mobile upgrade push in Venezuela is underway. Movistar Venezuela counted 168 operational 5G stations across 18 cities by April, according to the SAMENA Council. Telefónica’s local arm also pledged $500 million over two years to boost 4G coverage and begin rolling out 5G once the spectrum auction wraps.

Marco Baptista, chief executive of Inter Venezuela, called the launch of the new XGS-PON mobile backhaul service a key move for advancing the country’s mobile networks. Baptista said Harmonic’s fiber system should ease congestion for mobile operators and boost speeds for subscribers coping with heavier data traffic.

Inter is rolling out Harmonic’s cOS virtualized core, the Fin 10G SFP+ optical line terminal, along with the high-density Pier OLT shelf at its cell sites and aggregation nodes, according to Light Reading. The OLT—short for optical line terminal—serves as the gear that handles fiber links between a provider’s infrastructure and the access network’s endpoints.

Jeffrey Glahn, senior vice president for global sales at Harmonic, called the agreement a boost for Inter’s “forward-thinking approach to mobile backhaul” in Latin America. Harmonic says its cOS platform currently supports close to 46 million customer premises equipment devices around the world. HarianBasis.co

The announcement follows Harmonic’s move to lift its 2026 broadband revenue target, now set between $475 million and $495 million. That call came on the back of 43% broadband revenue growth for the first quarter, plus what CEO Nimrod Ben-Natan described as “robust bookings and record backlog.” Shares of Harmonic were last quoted up 3.2% at $13.37, giving the company a market value near $1.5 billion. Harmonic Inc.

Harmonic picks up a Latin American reference point in broadband access through its Inter deal, a market where operators are weighing price, reliability, product roadmaps, and the level of risk tied to suppliers. In its most recent annual report, Adtran flagged a lineup of rivals in access and aggregation—Nokia, Calix, Vecima, Harmonic, and Microchip all made the list.

Still, the rollout isn’t without pitfalls. Harmonic has flagged in its securities filings that broadband and telecom budgets are prone to cuts or holdups, and delays in product launches or a more robust competitor could pose challenges. The company kept quiet on the contract’s dollar value and didn’t disclose which mobile operators plan to take up Inter’s new backhaul offering.

Inter is wagering that its fiber-based wholesale service can underpin Venezuela’s 4G improvements and initial moves toward 5G, offering backhaul without obligating each mobile carrier to construct its own links. The commercial challenge: converting that technical deployment into steady carrier traffic, all while operators continue to wrestle with constrained capital budgets.