Trunking interconnection depends on supreme court

Colombian mobile operators now depend on the supreme court for a final decision on a recent decree allowing trunking operators to interconnect with mobile networks, local newspaper Portafolio reported. A final resolution on the decree could take years, the paper added. A Colombian tribunal recently rejected an appeal by América Móvil (NYSE: AMX) unit Comcel, Telefónica Móviles (NYSE: TEM) unit BellSouth Colombia and locally owned Colombia Móvil (Ola) against this authorization. The same tribunal determined that the supreme court would be in charge of the final resolution. The decree, laid down by the communications ministry, also stipulated that in the event of legal challenges such as this, the telecoms regulator CRT could nevertheless study the decree to establish interconnection rules for trunking operators. Such rules should include the option of continuing with the current scheme, whereby trunking operators interconnect through fixed line operators and not directly with the mobile operators. But this is very expensive for the end users and is precisely why the trunking operators have been calling for a decree allowing direct interconnection. By interconnecting to mobile networks, the trunking operators' clients would be able to make and receive calls from users of Ola, Comcel and BellSouth, and the service would truly equate to a mobile service. Mobile operators have said the ministry's decree will help Avantel to become the fourth Colombian mobile operator, without paying mobile licenses or participating in spectrum auctions.