Govt: Foreign Co to Investigate Gray Traffic at Hondutel
Honduras' government plans to launch an international auction to find a company to investigate so-called gray traffic - the illegal use - of the networks of state incumbent Hondutel, the country's congressional president Roberto Micheletti was reported as saying by local daily La Tribuna.
The idea of contracting an international company "to investigate gray traffic" is not open to negotiation, Micheletti said.
The investigation is part of a plan to eliminate corruption in Hondutel and is running in parallel to attempts to introduce a controversial bill to reform the telecommunications sector in general.
On August 13, President Manuel Zelaya and Micheletti agreed to form a joint technical commission with members of the legislative and executive branches to study the bill and also to investigate corruption. This same commission will be in charge of setting a time frame for holding the auction to study gray traffic problems.
Honduras' long-distance telephony market was partially liberalized in December 2005. However, private companies can only set up as sub-operators and buy franchises to resell Hondutel services.
Dante Mossi, former president of telecoms regulator Conatel and now an economist with the World Bank, recently told BNamericas the lack of competition in the long distance market and consequent high rates are largely to blame for illegal traffic.
Posted to the site on 21st August 2007
