Argentina’s telecoms regulator Enacom approved rules which will allow companies to offer converged mobile, fixed, pay-TV and internet services, as part of a wider push to boost competition in the country.

In a statement, Enacom confirmed the move, which had been expected in early 2018, after it published guidelines in January 2017 designed to pave the way for telecoms and cable companies to broaden the scope of their services.

As part of the new regulations, Enacom said it had issued licences to mobile operators Claro and Telefonica to offer pay-TV and radio services in select cities, while cable TV provider Supercanal Sociedad Anonima was granted an MNVO licence allowing it to launch mobile services.

Miguel De Godoy, president of the watchdog, said encouraging so-called quadplay services meant “more offers for users and better quality communication”.

Changing times
In a sign of a changing landscape in the country’s telecoms industry, Telecom Argentina and cable TV-company Cablevision agreed to a merger in July 2017, in a tie-up they said will create the country’s leading provider of converged telecoms and media services. The deal is also designed to step up competition against America Movil’s Claro, which holds a dominant market share.

The merger was approved by the regulator in December, on the grounds the combined company divested a certain amount of airwaves to avoid hitting a government cap.

Argentina’s government said in late 2016 it expected the planned telecoms reforms to attract $20 billion in investment over four years. As part of the push, the country also held a spectrum auction in 2017.