Mexican telecoms regulator to tender two satellite spots in 2014
MEXICO CITY, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Mexico's telecoms regulator on Wednesday approved a tendering process for the placement in orbit next year of two commercial satellites, which it hopes will drive competition in the sector.
The regulator, known as IFT, said in a statement that it hopes to tender the locations for the satellites - 113 degrees west and 116.8 degrees west, along with their affiliated C and Ku spectrums that data is sent through - in 2014.
"The granting of concessions for orbiting resources ... is very important as it drives greater competition in the satellite industry," the IFT said in the statement.
The watchdog did not give any more details on the tendering process.
Mexico's satellite television market is mainly in the hands of Sky, which is owned by media giant Televisa, the world's largest Spanish-language content producer. Televisa said Sky ended the third quarter of this year with more than 5 million subscribers in Mexico.
At the end of this year's second quarter, Mexico had just over 7 million satellite television subscribers, according to official figures.
The IFT was created earlier this year on the back of a telecoms reform pushed by the Mexican government, which it hopes will open up industries largely controlled by Televisa and America Movil, the giant firm controlled by billionaire Carlos Slim.
