FOUR FIRMS LODGE UMTS APPEAL AGAINST SPANISH GOVERNMENT.

• Position: Government Activity

A number of sources reported on 20 April that the four operators awarded UMTS licences in Spain, Telef[cent]nica Moviles, Airtel, Amena and Xfera, have lodged appeals against what they regard as a prohibitive tax imposed by the Government on mobile telephony operators since the beginning of the year. The latest appeal was lodged with the Central Economic and Administrative Tribunal on 20 April by Telef[cent]nica Moviles, subsidiary of the Spanish telecommunications giant Telef[cent]nica, a spokesman for the group told AFP without expanding on the legal arguments behind the appeal. The spokesman merely recalled declarations by Directors of the country's leading mobile telephony operator, who argue that the tax will hold back the development of telecommunications, acting notably as a disincentive to investment in the sector. Amena (Retevisi[cent]n and Telecom Italia) and Airtel (Vodafone) lodged a similar appeal on 19 April, according to spokesmen for the two groups. Press reports suggest that Xfera (FCC-Vivendi, ACS and Sonera), which is due to launch its service next August, lodged an appeal with the Ministry of Science and Technology...