Fusion Telecom-Cablevisión: Telefónica accused Macri of promoting concentration

The merger between the companies Telecom and Cablevisión seemed imminent until this week when the Spanish company Telefónica decided to present a challenge to the Ministry of Commerce in response to the government's decision to pave the way for this operation. Among the most important critical points, the telephone company emphasizes the decision to encourage "favoritism of a dominant operator" which, if the merger is approved, would concentrate "60% of the fixed broadband market in national level and up to 90% in some cities. "

The discussion centers on the benefits that would accrue to the creation of this new business group that would accumulate the supply of fixed telephony, mobile telephony, Internet and television." Telefónica warned that this project would entail "very serious consequences for the future of telecommunications in Argentina." This includes the violation of users to decide what kind of service they want, what price to pay and what alternatives they can compete for.

Diego De Charra, director of communication career at the UBA: sectors denounces for nearly a year that this agreement greatly favors a company that will have a very strong impact "

" The decisions made by the authorities are deeply contradictory with the goal that the country has set to enter Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in order to Opt away from public policies aligned with international best practices, "said the Spanish company in its opposition document.

For its part, various opposition and communications-related sectors are concerned about the speed with which the Mauricio Mac ri government has advanced the merger of the two companies, which would have direct benefits in the area. Clarín group, which currently holds almost all of Cablevisión.

"From different sectors, it has been denounced for almost a year that this agreement disproportionately favors a company that will have a very strong impact.This resource could be presented by Telefonica could be used to exert pressure and that law short-legislation intended to generate a counterweight to the concentration of the main borrowers-to reach a good port, "said to Background the director of the communication race at the University of Buenos Aires , Diego De Charra, who noticed the low level of ENACOM in this case.

"The ENACOM is a consequence of the dissolution of two fundamental authorities like the AFSCA and the AFTIC, who had a certain degree of executive power independence that ENACOM did not have. The decisions it has taken from its inception to the present have been decisions that have clearly favored the Clarín Group, "said De Charra.

For his part, the provincial deputy for Citizen Unit and former dean of journalism Social Communication of UNLP, Florence Saintout, made a public exit where he declared: "Neither the Ministry of Commerce, nor the defense consumers, neither justice nor the ombudsman We are in the hands of companies. "Saintout spoke of the silence maintained by the official organs.

Florencia Saintout, UPCP and Communications Physician: "Neither the Ministry of Commerce, nor the Consumer Advocacy, nor the Justice, nor the Office of the Ombudsman. We are in the hands of corporations. "

Cablevisión Holding belongs to the children of Ernestina Herrera of Noble, Héctor Magnetto, José Aranda and Lucio Rafael Pagliaro. The company has 60% of Cablevisión. The other 40% is owned by Fintecht, headed by David Martínez, who, in turn, has more than 40% of Telecom.

It should be noted that the so-called short law, conceived as the Law on the Deployment of Infrastructure and Competition, would allow telecommunications companies to share their resources and offer satellite television throughout the country . However, this resource must wait until 2020 to come into effect.