Excluding Claro from participating in the LTE spectrum auction is counterproductive
Despite all the efforts of the Colombian ICT ministry Mintic to award LTE spectrum in December, the timescale may be ambitious considering the current debate about the participation of Claro, the country’s dominant mobile operator, in the tender. Initially scheduled for September, the spectrum auction was postponed due to concerns that Claro could extend its monopoly to mobile broadband services if it is allowed to participate in the upcoming auction. Claro current accounts for more than 60 per cent of the mobile market and rival operators and senators claim that it should be forbidden from participating in the tender.
Anatel is the new consumer hero for punishing operators
Telecoms regulator Anatel has stopped three of the four biggest Brazilian mobile operators from selling new mobile lines in an attempt to improve the country’s network infrastructure. Telecom Italia’s subsidiary TIM Brasil, America Movil’s unit Claro and local operator Oi are banned from acquiring new clients in selected states across the country. This measure was taken because of the growing number of complaints that Anatel has received since last year.


