Comarcoop to Invest Upwards of US$120mn to Launch Services
Argentine mobile telephony firm Comarcoop, created by a group of local cooperatives, plans to invest US$100mn-120mn to launch services, local press quoted Comarcoop executives as saying.
Comarcoop plans to enter the mobile business using spectrum that Movistar Argentina, owned by Spain's Telefónica Móviles (NYSE: TEM), is returning to authorities.
The spectrum return process was one of the conditions local authorities established to authorize the merger of TEM's two local units Movicom and Unifón.
Commenting on the possibilities of Comarcoop receiving Movistar spectrum, Signals Telecoms Consulting analyst Juan Gnius told BNamericas that there has been no official information about this matter.
"There is still no legal formula that will allow the government to give the spectrum free of charge to the cooperatives. Movistar has already begun returning it, and there are several companies interested [...] So there should be an auction process for this spectrum," Gnius said.
Companies reportedly interested in Movistar's spectrum also include the Argentine unit of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Telecommunications and CTI Móvil, the local unit of Mexico's América Móvil.
BNamericas.com"
Posted to the site on 18th April 2006
