Brazil Telecom Regulator Hikes Interconnection Fees 4.5%

SAO PAULO -(Dow Jones)- Brazil's telecom regulator Anatel has authorized a 4.5% hike in the fee paid to mobile operators for receiving calls from fixed-line operators, ending four months of testy negotiations between industry players, Anatel said in a statement late Wednesday.

The hike in so-called interconnection fees will also trigger a 7.99% hike in the fees charged by fixed-line operators to consumers for calls to mobile phones.

Anatel said the adjustment will take effect Sunday.

Anatel said the price adjustment was based on an agreement reached earlier this month among various operators, including mobile operators Vivo, a joint venture of Spain's Telefonica Moviles (TEM) and Portugal Telecom (PT); Claro, a unit of Mexico's America Movil (AMX); TIM Brazil, a unit of Telecom Italia (TI); fixed-line operators Telesp (TSP) and CTBC (CTBC4.BR); and Brasil Telecom Participacoes (BRP) and its mobile unit Brasil Telecom GSM.

-By Rogerio Jelmayer, Dow Jones Newswires; 5511 3145 1480; brazil@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires"

Posted to the site on 9th June 2005