| On Wednesday, Peru's government privatization agency ProInversion awarded a 20-year mobile telephony license to Sercotel SA, a unit of Mexico's America Movil SA. The company offered US$ 21.1 million, slightly more than the US$ 20.5 million base price.
America Movil is controlled by Mexican businessman Carlos Slim, who also controls Telefonos de Mexico. Telmex entered the Peruvian market when it acquired the assets of AT&T Latin America.
The auction of the fourth mobile band is part of an effort by the government to increase competition in the mobile sector, which is dominated by Telefonica. The government will announce a decision on the planned merger between Telefonica Moviles SAC and BellSouth Peru SA in the first half of April. BellSouth Peru has since changed its name to Comunicaciones Moviles. Approval of that merger would create a company with more than 70% of Peru’s mobile market.
Other companies operating in Peru's mobile telephone market are Telecom Italia Mobile's TIM Peru SAC and Nextel.
Source: Dow Jones |