In an industry in which over-the-top (OTT) operators are outgrowing third-party networks and convergence is gathering a huge part of the telco business, Argentina's cable companies are calling for a new regulation to set a framework for current and future challenges.
During the opening conference of Jornadas Internacionales 2015 in Buenos Aires, former members of regulators and telecom authorities shared their opinions about regulation and laws, OTT challenges and network neutrality.
"Today's world is divided between the US and its OTT services like Netflix and the rest of the world which invests in infrastructure on which these services run," said Ángel García Castillejo, former telecom assessor for the Spanish Government.
"In Spain, operators offer quadruple-play services in a highly competitive context and under laws written to protect free competition," added García Castillejo.
"These laws are 20 years delayed in Argentina," added Walter Burzaco, president of Argentina's cable TV association ATVC. "In a world moving towards convergence, companies and users are trapped between industry and legislation. It would be great if companies could offer multiple services as the users demand."
Regarding OTT, García Castillejo highlighted the general concern within the industry about whether OTT operators will contribute to infrastructure development or not. In Colombia, telcos are worried "about the high broadband consumption of video services like Netflix, which is very popular in the country with over 500,000 users," added Carlos Téllez Ramírez, former member of Colombia's TV regulator.
