An administrative court in Uruguay has ruled that telecoms operator Claro is not permitted to provide fixed broadband services over its fibre-optic network infrastructure, signalling a victory for the country’s telecoms regulator Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones (URSEC). In early 2012 the watchdog ordered Claro Uruguay, a wholly-owned unit of Mexico’s America Movil (AM), to stop providing fibre-optic internet access, or face a number of penalties, including the withdrawal of its operating licence. According to a statement on URSEC’s website, the court has ruled that while operators are permitted to install fibre-optic cables, they require specific authorisation and the relevant licence to provide fixed broadband services over that infrastructure. At present, state-owned fixed line incumbent Administracion Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Antel) is the only operator with a licence to provide fixed internet services in Uruguay.