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 The notifications are the first step in a process mandated by a
telecoms reform passed by Mexico's Congress earlier this year that
gives the new Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) powers to
clamp down on dominant players and spur competition.
Televisa, the world's largest producer of Spanish-language content,
said in a regulatory filing it was analyzing the news and preparing
an official response.
America Movil, the telecoms behemoth controlled by Mexican
billionaire Carlos Slim, later said that it and its subsidiaries,
including fixed-line operator Telmex, have also been placed under
review by the watchdog and asked to hand over information about the
size of the market.
America Movil said it had received a notice "related to the
beginning of a process toward the probable determination of being a
dominant economic agent in Mexico's telecommunications market.
The company had already said it expects to be declared dominant.
America Movil shares ended down 1.69 percent at 14.55 pesos ($1.12)
before the company disclosed the review. Televisa's shares closed
down 2.1 percent, having fallen more than 3 percent earlier on the
news.
On Wednesday, the IFT said it had informed unidentified companies it
will assess for tougher regulation.
Under the new rules, the IFT has powers to break up telecoms
companies that are found to be impeding competition, although those
powers are only intended to be used as a last resort.
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The IFT, which has until March to determine which firms are
"predominant," can also apply other measures to drive competition,
including forced sharing of infrastructure and creating a price
regime to aid smaller rivals.
America Movil and Televisa have spent years battling efforts to
impose tougher rules on how they operate, using legal injunctions
and appeals to thwart regulators. Much of that legal cover has been
stripped away by the reform.
The reform allows companies to argue why they believe they are not
dominant, and both Televisa and America Movil are expected to fight
their ground.
Secondary legislation to implement the telecoms reform has been
delayed, giving the likely targets more time to prepare their
defenses. Congress is expected to begin looking at the secondary
legislation in February.
($1 = 13.0242 Mexican pesos)
[© 2013 Thomson Reuters. All
rights reserved.]
(Reporting by Veronica Gomez; writing by Gabriel Stargardter;
editing by Simon Gardner and Leslie Adler) Copyright 2013 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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