Peru's government has sent to congress a bill allowing telecoms operators to use each other's infrastructure in the interests of optimizing competitiveness in the sector, government newspaper El Peruano reported.
The bill considers shared access and use of poles, ducts and other network infrastructure.
The proposal stipulates that all telecoms operators should have the right to access each other's infrastructure unless telecoms watchdog Osiptel deems otherwise and that they should be able to charge a fee, which will be determined by Osiptel.
Sharing infrastructure is one of the requirements of the free trade agreement with the US, which the US House of Representatives approved on November 8.
According to Liliana Ruiz, president of local telecoms consultancy Alterna Perú, the bill will benefit smaller operators, especially cablecos, that have been trying to launch services but do not have the capital to invest in their own infrastructure.
"In recent years, many cable TV operators have argued that [incumbent] Telefónica would not rent its infrastructure to them. If the bill is approved, it will become an obligation," Ruiz told BNamericas.
Posted to the site on 17th December 2007
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/28113.php