Anti-trust watchdog hits Claro with USD45m fine

Colombian anti-trust watchdog Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC) has ruled that America Movil (AM)-backed cellco Claro Colombia has abused its dominant market position and violated number portability rules, and has imposed two fines totalling COP87.75 billion (USD45.12 million). Claro was charged with hindering competition by delaying unlocking mobile handsets (COP53.91 billion fine) and artificially inflating its number portability figures (COP33.84 billion). TeleSemana writes that the cellco’s president Juan Carlos Archila has submitted an appeal for the decision to be reconsidered. Archila noted that the SIC studied just eight complaints regarding delays in unlocking handsets, questioning the validity of the study and the weight of the fine given that the cellco sells around ten million devices annually. Further, he stressed that the fine for bulking portability figures related to one of the company’s distributors which Archila says has been sanctioned by Claro for violating their distributing agreement.