Photo: EUROPA PRESS
SANTANDER, 3 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) -
The president of Vodafone Spain has described on Monday the agreement between Yoigo and Telefónica for the sharing of networks as the "highest degree of cooperation and coordination" between rivals seen in Spain, which discriminates against third parties and harms competition as a whole.
For Román, the alliance supposes the union of the dominant operator, "who can do whatever he wants", and of the company that should be the "revulsive" of the sector.
"It's an anti-competitive agreement and discriminates against other companies. We believe that we are right and we have denounced it to Competition, "said the director during the XXVII telecommunications meeting organized by Ametic.
Telefónica and Yoigo announced at the beginning of August several network sharing agreements by which Movistar will have 4G services on yoigo's network, which, in turn, will be able to market a convergent product with its mobile services and Telefónica's fixed services (voice and broadband).
Román recalled that during the allocation of spectrum Vodafone had to renounce 5MHz, the same as Telefónica, to comply with the limits established by the regulations. However, with this agreement Telefónica will now be able to use these frequencies with the transfer of spectrum from Yoigo. Also, for the manager this agreement involves a sale of infrastructure.
"It's important to create an environment that is conducive to investment. You have to avoid being benevolent and lenient with the one who dominates, because this will affect society," he said.
On the other hand, Román has been critical of the regulation that applies to the operators with the largest share in the mobile market in Spain, Telefónica, Vodafone and Orange. "We are absurdly demanding of the three mobile operators, who say they have absolute dominance," he said.
For Roman these operators have a constant "sword of Damocles". Thus, the executive has explained that "anyone" can ask them to sit down to negotiate with them and "anyone" can denounce them before the regulator for not reaching an agreement, which, in his opinion, responds to the situation of 2006 and not to the current one, with about 30 mobile operators in the market, including the companies that rent the network from these third parties (MVNOs).
"Is there anyone who doubts the existing competition in the current mobile? The burden (dragged by these dominant operators) is related to the thought that the more the better, regardless of whether the model is sustainable. The problem is whether it is profitable to maintain that pace," he said.
