Mexico’s Transport and Communications Ministry (SCT) has announced that it is standing by Cofetel’s decision to award nationwide spectrum to the Nextel/Televisa consortium for PS180m (US$14m). This is despite number three cellco Iusacell making good on…
Mexico’s Transport and Communications Ministry (SCT) has announced that it is standing by Cofetel’s decision to award nationwide spectrum to the Nextel/Televisa consortium for PS180m (US$14m). This is despite number three cellco Iusacell making good on its threats to sue the country’s telecoms regulator, Cofetel, over the award of a nationwide licence in the 1.7GHz band.
According to Mexican newspaper El Porvenir, Cofetel commissioner Gonzalo Martinez Pous also said that the regulator will be fighting the suit by every means possible.
Disqualified bidder Iusacell filed a series of injunctions against the bodies, but SCT and Cofetel have hit back by lodging an appeal against the provisional suspension of the license award.
The Nextel/Televisa consortium was announced as the winner of 30MHz of spectrum in the 1.7GHz band by Cofetel on 16 August. As the consortium was the only qualified bidder, it won with a controversially small bid of Ps180m (US$14.2m). America Móvil and Telefónica spent a combined Ps5.1bn (US$400m) to acquire the same amount of spectrum in the parallel auction for the 1.9-2.1 GHz band.
A previous injunction from Iusacell was recently dismissed by an Acapulco court, but several lawsuits are still pending and that has impeded the SCT from officially handing over the license.
Iusacell was not available for comment by the time of going to press.
