Eight interested in connectivity tender

Venezuela's telecom regulator Conatel has sold bidding rules to eight telecom companies for an upcoming tender to provide connectivity for 34 community access points, local newspaper La Red reported. The access points function as franchises with an emphasis on social service. The centers in question will be in the states of Táchira, Mérida, Barinas and Apure. The eight interested companies are Telefónica Móviles (NYSE: TEM) unit Telcel, Cantv (NYSE: VNT), Comsat, Intercall, IFX Networks, Infonet, Multiphone and Telecorp. Conatel aims to award the contract on January 31. Conatel is waiting for technical proposals from each bidder. The program will be financed by the Universal Service Fund (FSU), which grows each year because Venezuelan operators have to contribute 1% of their revenues. Currently, FSU has a total fund of 210bn bolívares (US$109mn). During the first quarter of 2005, Conatel plans to launch another connectivity tender for a greater number of community access centers in other regions.