The Rivada Networks consortium led by Ireland-based businessman Declan Ganley has vowed to continue its legal action against its disqualification from the tender to build and run Mexico's wholesale shared network (Red Compartida) on the 700 MHz band. The country’s Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT) last week awarded the contract to the Altan consortium including Mexican operators Megacable and Axtel after Rivada was accused of failing to submit a MXN 1 billion bond in time.
In a statement condemning the award, Rivada said its bid included major benefits for the country as a whole in the form of more investment, greater coverage and several million Mexicans assisted through the universal digital inclusion policy. “These benefits could have been achieved simply through an assessment of the two bids, instead of the illegal and purely procedural disqualification of Rivada Networks, in breach of the principles and provisions of the Law on Public-Private Partnerships,” said the consortium, adding that it remained confident that its arguments would be assessed “independently and responsibly” by the country's federal courts.
