Colombia: Claro rejects being dominant in mobile internet market

Claro, the mobile and entertainment brand of telecommunications giant América Móvil, dismissed as “exaggerated” claims that the company holds a dominant position in Colombia’s mobile and broadband markets. Dominance, the company holds, can only be confirmed by the competition regulator after performing several market studies, as explained by Claro’s Vice-President of Regulation, Mr. Santiago Pardo Fajardo.

Of Colombia’s 5 major internet providers, Claro had the second-slowest growth of the year at 6.3%, beating out Spanish rival Movistar (5.3%) and behind TigoUne (10.13%), Avantel (10.3%) and ETB (22,9%). However, Claro’s total increase amounted to 303,300 new users, far outpacing Movistar’s 120,452 or TigoUne’s 108,753.

The reality shows a mobile data market that is rapidly expanding for all providers. The actions and success of Claro’s competitors this year will be vital in determining whether there is a trajectory towards a fully dominant position. “As Comcel (Claro) we have invested heavily into increased coverage… the increase in mobile data users is proportional to that multi-million dollar investment into the network” Mr. Pardo said.

Claro’s rivals Movistar and TigoUne, on the other hand, have called repeatedly on the country’s competition regulators, the SIC, to take tough and proactive measures to prevent Claro’s current dominance over mobile telephony from translating itself in the mobile data sector.

Full Content: El Colombiano

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