25. What does Telmex think about opening 100 per cent fixed telephony to foreign investment? and also, what does it think of the limitations imposed by the authorities on the acquisition of cable TV companies, in Wi-Max, among other?
The truth is that I believe that it should be opened to foreign investment. I wish they would reciprocate to us. For example, let’s think that a Chinese company comes into Mexico and the Chinese open their market; and if the Spanish come and they open their market; and the same thing if the French come. But even if they do not open their markets, I believe it is better for the law to accept this than to have them beat around the bush and manipulate things through a neutral investment fund.
Therefore, it is absurd to manage things in this manner; there should be an authorization to do it. I believe that it is all right if we do not get into cable, because it is the competitor’s. Previously when I was asked if things should be done independently, I would say yes, just like cable TV, electricity and telephone get to households, the famous autonomy. I believe that is convenient or reasonable that we do not buy cable companies and that they are our competitors, consolidate and get together and I wish that two or three competitors could be derived from them. But they should really be competitors; true competitors that have advantages over Telmex.
It is easier to move from the difficult to the easy issues, than the other way around; it is easier to go from video to voice than from voice to video. This can be more easily done where there is already plenty of broadband to carry video, than when the band is narrow, that is the opposite, from narrow to broadband.
I think it is all right that Telmex does not to participate with cable companies. As a matter of fact, in Latin America we are doing the opposite and we do not complain, quite the opposite. We are competing with local telephone companies by buying cable and we are not asking for special treatment, or to be given space and payment. Conversely, the fact that they have image with content and they have everything, makes it easier that they have access.
Regarding Wi Max, I believe it is an error. I believe that it is wrong to stop spearhead technologies beforehand; they should not be stopped, and they should allow all competitors to provide new technologies. There should not be exclusive technologies for us or for others. We should be able to access with new technologies, and the competitors should also come in with new technologies so that we may all have access to the new technologies and then, let there be competition.
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