Chile’s national economic prosecutor FNE (Fiscalia Nacional Economica) has submitted a complaint before the Chilean Tribunal for the Defence of Free Competition (TDLC) against Claro Chile. FNE claims Claro has affected the growth and income of smaller market players, by marketing tariff plans and mobile telephony services bundles with on-net / off-net discrimination, without complying with the limit of voice minutes authorized by the TDLC.
In its investigation, FNE found that Claro added around 140,000 contract subscribers, allowing them to select 4 on-net numbers and make unlimited voice calls among them for CLP 0 for the first 5 minutes of each call. FNE also found that Claro marketed minute bundles which allowed users to make only on-net calls, which also infringes market regulations.
FNE has required the TDLC to fine Claro CLP 2.4 billion (approximately USD 4.4 million), given the “seriousness of the conduct, the benefit achieved by the company and its recidivist character”. Claro was convicted in 2011 for the same type of anti-competitive behavior FNE added.
