Compartel P2 Auctions to Start Apr.

olombia's Communications Ministry plans to auction in April a concession to provide residential lines and another for Internet services as the second phase of the Compartel social telephony plan, Compartel spokesman Camilo Olea told BNamericas.com. The telephony concession, which covers installation of lines in 378 communities of over 2,000 residents as well as community access centers in 64 municipalities with less than 2,000 residents, will be auctioned April 3. The concession to provide 84 community Internet centers in run-down inner city areas and 200 centers in under-populated municipalities will be auctioned April 15. Winners will be the technically qualified bidders that claim the smallest proportion of some US$100mn available in government subsidies. The Ministry has invited telecom operators, equipment providers and government bodies to submit comments on the concessions process on Friday (Feb.25). Holland's Global Village Telecom (GVT) won the Phase One concession in September 1999 after offering to accept US$31.79mn in state subsidies. GVT is scheduled to complete installation of the first public telephones on March 14, in the Finlandia and Montenegro areas of the country's coffee-growing zone, Olea said, adding that installation would continue until April 2001.