MEXICO CITY, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Mexico's America Movil
said on Tuesday it wanted to meet with U.S. officials
to discuss its potential entry into Mexican pay TV, arguing that
the move would boost coverage, penetration and connectivity in
the market.
Executives at the telecom firm were speaking a day after
Reuters reported U.S. officials had raised concerns https://www.reuters.com/article/mexico-america-movil-usa-idCNL1N2U11BG
to Mexico about the implications for competition if the Mexican
regulators allowed America Movil to enter its domestic pay TV
market.
America Movil's entrance into the sector would be a "win-win
for everyone," the company's general counsel Alejandro Cantu
told a news conference, arguing that whoever believed it would
violate the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement trade pact
"does not have the complete information."
Controlled by the family of billionaire Carlos Slim Helu,
America Movil dominates the telecommunications market in Mexico,
and its emergence on the pay TV scene could hit rivals,
including U.S. companies operating in Mexico.
America Movil's board chairman, Carlos Slim Domit, told the
news conference the company would be happy to meet U.S.
officials to discuss its business plans, including on pay TV.
"We think there's an opportunity to sit down with them and
talk about all this," Slim Domit said.
He added the company was looking to arrange a meeting with
the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, which had raised
the concerns about the company entering Mexican pay TV.
Company officials said that moving into the sector in Mexico
would imply an additional investment of 8 billion pesos ($387
million) to expand its fiber optic network.
A decision on pay TV is expected soon and if approved,
America Movil's entry would have major implications for the
likes of U.S. peer AT&T Inc, which operates in Mexico, and
Mexico's dominant broadcaster, Grupo Televisa.
America Movil currently has a 70% market share for mobile
internet services in Mexico and more than 62% of mobile phone
services, according to the Mexican telecom regulator.
($1 = 20.6455 Mexican pesos)
(Reporting by Cassandra Garrison
Editing by Aurora Ellis and Alistair Bell)