AT&T Seeks Some Southern Exposure

[Commentary] AT&T’s planned purchase of Iusacell should help it save on charges for calls between Mexico and the US and could be a source of growth as the Mexican wireless carrier’s customers upgrade to smartphones and data-heavy plans. But the $2.5 billion deal, including assumed debt, doesn’t move the needle for the US telecom giant -- at least not yet. Iusacell may just be the first step for AT&T into Mexican wireless, perhaps to be followed by a larger purchase of wireless assets owned by América Móvil. That company is selling assets, which could be worth more than $15 billion, to avoid antitrust penalties being imposed by regulators because of its dominant market position.