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Media Contact:
Will Wiquist, (202) 418-0509
will.wiquist@fcc.gov
For Immediate Release
PUERTO RICO TELEPHONE & AMÉRICA MÓVIL TO PAY $1.1
MILLION FOR REPEATEDLY EXCEEDING FOREIGN
OWNERSHIP LIMITS
--
WASHINGTON, June 28, 2016 – The Federal Communications Commission announced today
that Puerto Rico Telephone Company and its parent company, América Móvil of Mexico, will
pay $1.1 million to resolve an investigation by the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau. Stock purchases
of América Móvil by its owner Carlos Slim Helú and his family repeatedly exceeded the foreign
ownership levels approved by the Commission.
“Foreign companies doing business in the United States and its territories must follow all federal
rules, including those governing their ownership of American companies” said Enforcement
Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc. “The FCC ensures that foreign ownership in American
telecommunications carriers is in the public interest, considering issues related to competition,
national security, law enforcement, foreign policy, and trade policy. This is the largest fine for a
violation of foreign ownership and control limits because of the Slim family’s repeated
violations.”
Puerto Rico Telephone Company (PRTC), a telecommunications carrier operating in the United
States territory of Puerto Rico, and América Móvil, S.A.B. de C.V. (América Móvil) of Mexico,
have exceeded their approved foreign ownership three times in five years. Most recently, in June
2014, the Slim family increased its ownership in and control of América Móvil through a
purchase of stock from AT&T International. This also increased the family’s ownership in FCC
licensee PRTC beyond the voting and equity interests then approved by the agency’s International
Bureau in accordance with the FCC’s foreign ownership rules and policies.
As part of today’s settlement, PRTC and América Móvil have each agreed to adopt compliance
plans to prevent future stock purchases by the Slim family that would exceed foreign ownership
limits without first receiving the International Bureau’s review and approval. The plans require
both companies to develop and implement monitoring of compliance with the Commission’s rules
governing foreign ownership. The plans include designating Compliance Officers, developing a
comprehensive compliance plan, and reporting regularly on compliance.
More information about the FCC’s foreign ownership rules and policies can be found here:
https://www.fcc.gov/general/foreign-ownership-rules-and-policies.
Today’s Consent Decree with PRTC and América Móvil can be found
here: https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-16-647A1.pdf.
###
Office of Media Relations: (202) 418-0500
TTY: (888) 835-5322
Twitter: @FCC
http://www.fcc.gov/office-media-relations
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes
official action. See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).