Mexico to auction new mobile phone frequencies

Mexico will auction new mobile telephone frequencies by early September to boost competition in a market dominated by tycoon Carlos Slim. Communications and Transport Minister Juan Molinar said that the 1.7 and 1.9 Ghz frequencies will be up for grabs in the sale. "The rules should be published by the end of the month or in early September," Molinar said. Slim's America Movil controls close to 80 percent of the mobile telephone market in Mexico, where it operates under the Telcel brand. Spain's Telefonica is Mexico's second largest cellphone operator and has been waiting for years for the government to auction more spectrum so it can expand its services.