MTC to Re-auction Former BellsSouth Mobile Concession

Peru's ministry of transport and communications (MTC) has approved the auctioning of a mobile concession formerly held by US telco BellSouth in an effort to increase competition, local daily El Correo reported.

Peru's government reclaimed the concession license for the 800Mhz B band as part of its approval of the 2005 merger between Spain's Telefónica Móviles' local unit Movistar and Comunicaciones Móviles, which TEM bought from BellSouth in 2004.

MTC prohibits any mobile operator from having space in both the A and B bands and from possessing more than 25MHz in the 800MHz band.

No date has been set for the auction to take place.

Previous press reports and analyst statements have indicated that trunking operator Nextel Perú would be a prime candidate to pick up the band space.

BNAmericas.com"

Posted to the site on 26th September 2006