SIC fines total USD15m

Colombia’s Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC) levied fines totalling COP26.55 billion (USD14.92 million) on communications service providers in 2012, around half of which were issued to wireless providers and the remainder handed to internet service providers (ISPs), fixed line operators and postal service companies. The competition watchdog fined Comunicacion Celular (Comcel), which operates under the Claro banner, COP10.8 billion, whilst Tigo and Movistar paid totals of COP2 billion and COP1.8 billion respectively. The charges were dished out for various regulatory infringements, the most common of which were: failing to comply with SIC’s orders; selling and refusing to open handsets locked to a single carrier; wrongly activating international roaming; unilaterally modifying contracts without the consent of customers; failing to respond to complaints, requests and appeals from users.