The telecoms regulator of Uruguay, Ursec, may have its powers scaled back as the country pushes to attract US$6bn of inwards investment to upgrade its communications and energy infrastructure.
Uruguay is dominated by state-owned telco, Antel, which has a…
The telecoms regulator of Uruguay, Ursec, may have its powers scaled back as the country pushes to attract US$6bn of inwards investment to upgrade its communications and energy infrastructure.
Uruguay is dominated by state-owned telco, Antel, which has a monopoly on all fixed-line services. Antel, operating under the brand of Ancel is also a major player in the mobile theatre. However, America Móvil and Telefónica both operate in the country under the brands of Claro and Movistar.
The minister for industry, mining and energy, Roberto Kreimerman, said in a statement from the Presidential Office that Ursec and water and energy regulator, Ursea needed a facelift.
He believes that Ursec should not have a role in the definition of public policy, and all policy matters should be defined by the national telecoms department, Dinatel.
The President should retain control over spectrum, which must be distributed according to democratic criteria, providing maximum access to information and security for companies and subscribers, the statement read.
According to Pyramid Research, Uruguay’s telecom market will reach nearly $1.5bn by 2014, which represents a 4.4% CAGR over 2009 figures. Mobile data and broadband Internet will be the two biggest growth contributors in the period, with CAGRs of 13.5% and 4.3%, respectively. IPTV and fixed VoIP will be the fastest-growing businesses but will remain low revenue-generating lines. In this context, Pyramid Research sees Antel’s strategy of increasing broadband coverage and its range of products as an important factor in the overall market growth.
