Vignolles (Orange) criticizes that Yoigo has access to fiber without having invested anything in fixed

SANTANDER, 4 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The CEO of Orange Spain, Jean Marc Vignolles, warned on Wednesday that, after the agreement with Telefónica, Yoigo, "which has not invested anything" in fixed networks, will have the possibility of offering convergent packages without other operators with "large investments" in this segment being able to replicate the offers.

In addition, the executive recalled that after this agreement, whose detailed conditions "would deserve to be made public", Telefónica can use the spectrum of Yoigo to offer 4G services thus exceeding the spectrum limit set by the Ministry of Industry and using frequencies returned by Orange in 2011, so that there was a "more equitable" distribution between operators.

"It does not respect the legal procedures required for the approval by the Ministry of a spectrum transfer," said Vignolles, who recalled that they have asked Industry to review this agreement in detail and ensure compliance with the conditions of spectrum tenders.

Likewise, the company has asked the CMT and the CNC to analyze in detail the "legality" of this agreement and to paralyze the sale of these products until the replicability of these offers by the other operators is verified.

As for the National Market and Competition Commission (CNMC), which will replace the CMT from October, Vignolles has urged an "agile" transition in order to avoid "regulatory gaps".

"We understand and see very positive that the Government aims to develop competition in the sector and we also share the objective of greater efficiency. However, it is important that this new body has the necessary human and financial resources, and that the continuity of the public regulatory service is maintained, "said the director.

In this sense, the executive recalled that there are important regulatory aspects pending review, such as the market of Mobile Virtual Operators (MVNOs), where there is already a very competitive market, and the limit of 30 megabytes in wholesale fixed broadband offers.

Regarding the prudential prices of verticals set by the CMT in the sharing agreement of Orange and Vodafone with Telefónica, Vignolles has been critical assuring that they are "discriminatory and are very far from the real costs" of tending these verticals.

"We have asked the CMT for a 50% reduction in sharing prices. It should not happen that instead of sharing investments, we are financing with these prices the deployment of the incumbent, "he added.

On the other hand, Vignolles has lashed out at companies such as Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon and others, they are "globalized" players, very little "national", who live in a situation of "quasi-monopoly" and benefit from maximum tax optimization.

For Vignolles they are not subject to the same "rules of the game" in relation to competition, regulation and taxation.

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