Televisa runs four of the country’s
Televisa runs four of the country’s six national broadcast channels, and operated the only satellite TV service until the launch of a start-up competitor in late 2008. It has also built up its cable holdings through acquisitions as it expands in wiring duct triple play–the bundling of TV, Internet and fixed-line telephony.
Nextel got a foothold in the Mexican market through trunking licenses which it used for “push-to-talk” mobile service and then gradually built up cable duct its offerings to include the exchange of text messaging with other wireless operators and finally, a wireless license through an acquisition.
The latest battle of the airwaves could yet face some legal and political noise, but the auction results are likely to stand.
Cofetel’s president, De Swaan, who has embraced the debate from his Twitter account, said late Monday that the auctions will increase the spectrum available for 3G wireless service to 210 megahertz from 120 megahertz, and the number of 3G providers to four from two. Several potential bidders had dropped out for a number of reasons, but none because of the wire duct auction’s bidding rules, he added.
As Televisa prepares its move into mobile, the country’s biggest fixed-line phone company Telefonos de Mexico SAB (TMX, TELMEX.MX), which like Telcel is controlled by billionaire Carlos Slim, is still waiting for government authorization to directly offer cable trunking video, a move that has been opposed by the cable TV industry.
