Watchdog Plans to Auction 2 Mobile Bands in Oct

Panama's public services regulator Asep plans to launch an auction for two mobile concession licenses in October and award them in 2008, local and international press quoted Asep official Víctor Urrutia as saying.

Bids for the 30-year concessions are expected to be above US$30mn.

The move is aimed at increasing mobile penetration to 70% from 50% today.

The new licenses could draw interest from some of the regional operators not already operating in Panama, namely Mexico's América Móvil, or the Caribbean's Digicel.

Currently Panama has two mobile operators, Movistar, of Spain's Telefónica, and the local unit of the UK's Cable & Wireless."

Posted to the site on 28th May 2007