Brazil Telco Vivo Sees Market Share Eroded In November

SAO PAULO -(Dow Jones)- Brazil's No. 1 telecom company Vivo Participacoes saw its client base and market shares drop in November as the competition continues to bite at the company's heels, according to figures released Tuesday by telecommunications regulator Anatel.

Vivo held 29.5% of the 97.33 million local market in November, down from 29.8% in October and 34.5% in December of last year.

The No. 2 operator TIM Participacoes continues to gain ground, holding 25.4% of the market in November, up from 23.4% in December of 2005.

Claro, owned by Mexico's America Movil, remains in third place with 23.5% of the market,

Oi, the mobile unit of Tele Norte Leste Participacoes, held 13.2% of the market.

Brazilian mobile phone ownership rose 18% when compared with November 2005, when the number of mobile phones was 82.35 million. The net additions continued to slide from higher levels in 2004 and 2005.

-By Alastair Stewart, Dow Jones Newswires; 5511 3145-1479; alastair.stewart@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires"

Posted to the site on 26th December 2006