Tigo shrugs off rumours of AM acquisition

The head of Tigo Colombia, Esteban Iriarte, has denied claims in the local press that Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, owner of the America Movil (AM) group, has expressed an interest in the company. The response said that the claims misinformed the public about the reality of the cellco’s business decisions and noted that majority owner Luxembourg’s Millicom International Cellullar (MIC) was involved in talks with partner Une-EPM regarding a potential merger. Late last year Slim fended off accusations that Claro Colombia, the local unit of the AM telecoms empire, was effectively a monopoly provider, fighting off calls for the operator to be subject to greater regulation thanks to its dominant position in the market. Indeed, TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database notes that a number of lobbyists and politicians had called for Claro to be excluded from the upcoming 4G auction. The concerns were heeded by the regulator and, whilst the cellco will be permitted to take part in the tender, Claro will be limited to bidding for spectrum in the 2500MHz band, whilst incumbents Tigo and Movistar will be restricted to purchasing airwaves in the 2100MHz and 1900MHz bands.