Argentina: Government reform breaks open Telecommunications sector

A new reform to Argentina’s communications laws has been published in the Official Gazette which establishes guidelines for implementing basic rules for allowing economic agents to provide telecommunications and internet services under competitive terms. The move is seen as promoting modernization for the country’s outdated telecomms industry, as well as a way to inject the sector with more dynamism.

The law calls for sector regulator ENACOM to formulate a plan, due within six months, to organize international public contests for newly-available broadcast frequencies. ENACOM’s president, Miguel de Godoy, has said that his agency “will create the conditions for competition and promote investment in order to make up for lost time.” The decreed law will focus on attracting new companies to join the market, setting various benchmarks for competition and assigning high-quality frequencies.

The reform will also allow telephone companies to offer Cable TV and broadband services (Triple Play), although these will be limited to local broadcasters and cooperatives. The reform holds as its priority the promotion of investment in the sector and promoting greater convergence with digital media.

Full Content: E-Biz Latinoamérica

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