August 2010
New report examines telecommunications market
Official Spin - A new report published today, Friday, provides a detailed analysis of Mexico's telecommunications market. It examines the current and future state of the fixed-line and mobile markets with an eye to significant regulatory changes that have taken place recently.
Slim's newest venture might be Mexico's television market, but the challenges are daunting
Submitted by mexbiznews on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 4:28amBy Cyntia Barrera Diaz
Reuters
Regulators have hinted they might give billionaire Carlos Slim the nod to enter the Mexican television market, but the world's richest man will face a long battle before hitting the screens.
Competition and telecom officials recently said they might allow Slim's Telmex, Mexico's top fixed-line phone provider, to offer customers television service.
Mony de Swaan, head of Mexico's telecom regulator Cofetel, told Reuters last week it was "possible and desirable" to give approval to Telmex, which has sought permission to add television to its telephone and Internet services for years. Competition commission Cofeco has voiced a similar stance.
But market watchers think Telmex, a former state-run company that delivers basic telecom services to around 70 percent of Mexican homes, will face plenty of hurdles before it can access the coveted new service.
"It will take time, past 2011," said analyst Gregorio Tomassi of Santander.
Nestle plans ground attack over coffee beans
Submitted by mexbiznews on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 4:00am
The Wall Street Journal
From the lush Veracruz forests in Mexico all the way to Indonesia, Nestlé is cultivating a new investment: a $487 million global push to increase the quantity and quality of its coffee.
Nestlé -- the Swiss company that is the world's largest coffee company -- plans to train thousands of farmers over 10 years and provide them with new coffee trees.
The push comes as food companies such as Nestlé, Unilever and Kraft Foods Inc. struggle for better control of essential ingredients such as coffee, cocoa, wheat and milk.
online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704913704575453790784473302.html
Reality TV star testifies at soap actress' trial
CNN - The sham marriage trial of Mexican actress Fernanda Romero, under way in a Los Angeles federal court, offered more drama this week than the soap operas she is famous for. The courtroom cast included celebrity photographer and reality TV star Markus Klinko, whom defense lawyers tried to paint as a revengeful ex-boyfriend who turned her in to immigrations agents.
www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/celebrity.news.gossip/08/26/actress.sham.marriage.trial/
UN, OAS rip Mexico over media safety
Latin American Herald Tribune - The U.N. and OAS rapporteurs for freedom of expression ripped the Mexican government over the “general impunity” that exists in Mexico regarding killings of journalists and demanded protection for members of the media.
Peso bonds drop the most in 18 months
Bloomberg - Mexico’s peso bonds fell the most in 18 months on concern the U.S. economic recovery might stall, reducing appetite for the nation’s debt. The bonds have fallen for four straight days, the longest streak in three months.
Other airlines are benefiting from Mexicana woes
CNNExpansion.com - The suspension of several flights operated by Mexicana Airlines and its Click and Link has benefitted other airlines that compete in the Mexican domestic market, including VivaAerobus, Aeromexico and Volaris, which has seen a 10 percent jump in sales.
www.cnnexpansion.com/negocios/2010/08/25/volaris-aprovecha-crisis-de-mexicana
Megacable will offer quadruple play
El Universal - Megacable, the largest cable operator by the number of users in Mexico, will add to its mobile phone service by offering TV, internet and fixed telephony, for which it will use the infrastructure of Telefónica Mexico, the two companies announced.
Puerto Vallarta has yet to see tourists return
Informador.com.mx - Puerto Vallarta has yet to experienced a recovery in tourism so far this year, registering a pace of growth that is four percentage points behind last year. July ended with a 64.4 percent hotel occupancy, compared with the 68 percent recorded last year.
20 injured in apparent grenade attack in Puerto Vallarta
Informador.com.mx - At least 20 people were injured, two of them who had limbs severed, in the detonation early today, Thursday, of an unknown device, apparently a grenade, inside a bar called Pinkcheladas, where about 100 young people were attending a show.
