Telefónica contested the merger between Cablevisión and Telecom

After years of keeping silent in the struggle for the future of telecommunications


Telefónica
Argentina, a local subsidiary of Telefónica de España, announced that it had just challenged before the Ministry of Commerce the resolution by which
the government approved the merger between


Cablevisión
(Clarín group) and


Telecom
an operation which, according to the arguments presented by the complainant, "involves the leading pay-TV provider in the country and will concentrate nearly 60% of the fixed broadband market at the national level and up to 90% in

The suit was brought against the Commerce's resolution of June 29, which approved the merger, and the official entity should respond within 10 business days if it is brought to the Federal Civil Chamber and If not, the intention of the company would be to go to this court.

"This resolution reaffirms discriminatory treatment for the rest of the operators, puts serious obstacles to the development of competition effective in the telecommunications market and favors a dominant operator in the sector, "Telefónica's statement said. He adds: "Telefónica considers that this resolution jeopardizes the investments required by the sector and will have very serious consequences for the future of telecommunications in Argentina."

In summing up the "critical points of the resolution", the statement states:

• "The measures contemplated in the resolution will not limit the anti-competitive impact of the merger, as the merged company will for a long time be the only business to be able to offer integrated packages in Argentina, while its competitors will continue to face limitations "The resolution does not require effective measures to competitors to access the fixed networks of the company merged with the company. Inside the country, while in the retail market, the merged entity offers bandwidths greater than 20 MB. In its cable network, the wholesale product that Telecom is committed to making available from its competitors will be provided its copper network with a maximum bandwidth of 6 MB. "

At the end of the statement, Telefónica warns that" she badyzes all the international tools at her disposal for the defense of her rights. "