The Government of Luis Lacalle Pou, by means of an executive resolution, decided that cable television operators can sell internet, thus breaking the monopoly that Antel had until now in this service.
This sparked criticism from the mayor of Montevideo and former Minister of Industry, Carolina Cosse, who assured that we are facing the “emptying of Antel” due to a measure that she understands is “of dubious legality.”
In dialogues with The viewer, the Montevideo chief expressed her express opposition to the fact that now five cable operators can provide internet services, competing directly with Antel. Her, this can be read as government support for channels that are currently experiencing difficulties due to market saturation by streaming companies with endless content, but rather “attacks the company of the future.”
They are “touching the jewel in the crown of Uruguay, which is Antel,” he stressed.
Companies benefited
The five companies authorized to sell internet and that will play in the business with Antel are: Korfield, Monte Cablevideo, Praimar, Riselco (Nuevo Siglo) and Tractoral (TCC), so that they can have a Class B Telecommunications License “to provide third parties, data transmission services”.
These companies had achieved a legal victory in the Supreme Court of Justice after an appeal of unconstitutionality against Article 56 of the Media Law, which establishes that “individuals or legal entities that provide audiovisual communication services, was resolved in their favor. regulated by this law may not, in turn, provide telephony telecommunications services or data transmission.
The national government is also pursuing the most radical option of all: the total repeal of the current Media Law, to benefit all private companies, despite the effects that this may bring to Antel.
