Mexico’s telecommunications regulator said on Tuesday it had fined America Movil’s fixed-line unit, Telmex, 49.3 million pesos ($3.67 million) for monopolistic behavior to try to displace competitor Axtel.
The Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT), the regulator created under a new law last year, said Telmex ignored requests from Axtel to interconnect with its network and did not provide information about its infrastructure when asked.
Telmex also played recorded messages on long-distance calls made by Axtel customers using Telmex’s network saying that their service could be cut off, a strategy designed to reduce demand for Axtel services, the IFT said.
America Movil is controlled by billionaire Carlos Slim and is the target of tough new rules designed to encourage more competition in the sector.
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The investigation into possible “relative” monopolistic practices, distinct from “absolute” monopolistic practices such as price-fixing, was started in May 2011.
In the second quarter of 2014, America Movil made around $1.96 billion in fixed-line and other revenues in Mexico.
A spokesman for Telmex said the company could issue a statement in response soon. (