Movistar and Tuenti Users in Ecuador Will Start Seeing the Tigo Brand

If you use Movistar or Tuenti in Ecuador, the brand on your phone service is about to change. Tigo says the transition is moving forward and that users of both brands have begun receiving text messages about the change.

The company acquired Telefónica's Ecuador operation in October 2025. The message now reaching customers says Movistar will soon become Tigo, while Tuenti customers are receiving similar information.

What should stay the same

The published details are reassuring on the items that matter most in daily life:

• Your phone number, plan, and conditions should remain the same.
• The chip, telephone line, and service should continue working normally.
• Your bill should arrive in the same way.
• Registered payment methods and automatic combo renewal should remain unchanged if automatic renewal is activated.
• Web, social-media, and app interfaces will be updated.
• Customer-service channels will remain the same.

That means the announcement is primarily a branding and operating transition, not a direction to throw away a working chip or immediately replace a number. The source does not provide a final date for every customer-facing change, so the practical move is to read the messages attached to your own line and avoid acting on unofficial instructions.

Why the move matters in Ecuador's telecom market

Tigo is taking on a substantial customer base. The report cites Arcotel data through June 2026 showing 5.3 million users, equal to 31.8% of active advanced mobile-service lines in Ecuador.

The acquisition price was reported as $380 million. Tigo also says it plans to invest around $900 million in Ecuador during its first years of operation, including expansion of coverage beyond the largest cities and into rural areas and the Coast.

The company said it is working to add at least 4G coverage in more locations. The report says the network has more than 2,000 sites, some of which previously offered only 2G or 3G coverage.

The practical checklist

For now, keep your existing number and payment setup unless Tigo or your current operator tells you otherwise through an official channel. Save the announcement message, check the operator website or app when it changes, and be cautious with links asking for account credentials or payment information.

For expats who use an Ecuador line for banking, delivery services, government accounts, or WhatsApp, continuity of the number is the key detail. The transition may change the logo before it changes the way the line works.

Source: El Universo

A cautious transition plan

The safest approach is to separate a brand announcement from a request for sensitive information. Do not share a password, payment number, or verification code simply because a message uses the Tigo name. Instead, open the operator's official website or application yourself and compare the information there.

If you are outside Ecuador when the transition reaches your line, keep access to your existing email and any backup authentication method you use. If you change phones, preserve your account details before making the change. The source says numbers and plans should remain the same, but it does not promise that every customer will see the same screen on the same day.

For day-to-day use, the transition should be boring: the number keeps working, the plan keeps working, and the customer-service route remains available. That is the outcome to expect from the published information, while treating unexpected requests for money or credentials as a reason to verify first.