Carlos Slim has decided to play fiercely in the struggle for the increasing Latin American triple play market. The Mexican businessman is planning to continue the expansion of his companies in Latin American, but he will also seek enlarging their presence towards other segments of the industry. The objective of the owner of América Móvil and Telmex is to have an integrated business of telecommunications, multimedia contents and transportation networks services.

At the beginning of the year, some Slim's actions and his companies, headed for such direction, unleashed a series of versions about the interest of the Mexican tycoon in new acquisitions. Telmex's restructuring made during the second half of 2006 triggered the possibility that the company's international businesses were broken up; a measure similar to the one taken by Slim when he broke up Telmex’s mobile operations and gathered them in América Móvil. The version was officially underestimated by Telmex, that does not provide an opinion about the rumor that Slim would be chasing the Mexican satellite carrier Satmex, and a share in the Spanish media group Prisa.

However, an eventual purchase of Satmex and Prisa is within Slim’s logic so as to incorporate contents and new networks to the telecommunications businesses. Nevertheless, the rumors are supported in different degree depending on the case. The version that Slim would enter the group Prisa arose from the Spanish press and is part of a series of speculations related to the conflict of powers unleashed in the media group founded and headed by Jesús de Polanco. Juan Luis Cebrián, delegate adviser of Prisa, and one of the strong men of the holding, would confront Jesús de Polanco on the appointment of his son Ignacio as successor.

Notwithstanding, Cebrián would need allies among Prisa’s shareholders so as to keep the stock control and this would be the reason why the Spanish newspapers place Slim within the center of stage. The Mexican and Cebrián have a close friend in common: the former Spanish president Felipe González. According to the versions, Gónzalez would outsource his operations so that Slim holds the ownership of a significant stock pack from Prisa and Cebrián provides the financial support.

Mexican marketplace has almost not born in mind the speculations about the possible arrival of Slim to Prisa. Moreover, the Spanish press itself has warned that the handling appears fully complex and seems hard that it could be fulfilled successfully. The shareholder in control of Prisa is the group Timón, founded by Jesús Polanco and Francisco Pancho Pérez González, and owned by the family of both. Timón, directly or through its position in Promotora Publicaciones (Propu), controls more than 60% of Prisa’s capital. The hindrance for Slim would lie in the possibility of convincing these shareholders to sell. However, Prisa presents attractions for the Mexican tycoon due to its businesses in Latin America.

In June 2006, Prisa and the group Godó announced the integration of their activities through the conformation of Unión radio. The new holding will be made up by 1,095 own and associated broadcasts that are located in Spain, the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Argentina and Chile. Unión Radio will generate profits for € 350 million a year and it will be shared in 80% by Prisa and 20% by Godó.

Prisa's plans for the expansion in Latin America include the negotiation for Claxson’s  assets, that is subsidiary of Cisneros’ group. In 2006, Prisa has already bought from Claxon, radio stations in Argentina for US$ 60 million. The Spanish group is also interested in four radio stations Claxson has in Uruguay and it is in "due diligence” process with Claxson for the purchase of eight Chilean radios.

Prisa has some interests in Editorial Santillana (Casa Editorial El Tiempo) in Colombia and mainly in Caracol Radio, firm acquired in 2004, and that last year received an investment of US$ 5 million to build the most modern digital studios in Latin America. Prisa's bet on television will affect the Colombian international channel CitiTV, aimed at providing contents to carriers from the whole region.

Unlike Prisa, the possibility that Slim competes for Satmex was boosted after the satellite carrier finished its restructuring and became a coveted company in the regional satellite marketplace.

The tender to sell Satmex will be made during the month of April. A total of nine companies are interested in Satmex, including StarOne, SES Global, Intelsat, Loral, Echostar, Eutelsat and some private funds. Satmex’s price was fixed in US$ 600 million and the sale became more attractive when it was confirmed that the Mexican government will get rid of its 20% shareholding in the satellite carrier. Then, the decision of the current controllers of selling, but not to anybody; though they might be economically powerful, such as the investment funds, or operatively, such as the giant SES Global. The plan is to assign the company to a Mexican owner and controller.

Satmex provides services in 39 countries and it covers an area including the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America. Those areas are essential for Slim’s empire. Such arrival and the capacity to provide video, a business area the businessman has chosen selectively for this year 2007, would prove a millionaire investment, in alliance to some of the carriers that appear in the list of the current applicants.

The firms from Mexico already confirmed appearing in the list of applicants are Grupo Medcom, Pegaso Comunicaciones (from Burillo Azcarraga) and the renowned businessmen such as Miguel Alemán (with interests in aviation businesses) and Moisés Saba (former Ricardo Salinas Pliego’s partner in the mobile telephony company, Unefón and monority shareholder of Televisión Azteca).

Among the carriers, there are SES Global, Intelsat, Eutelsat, Loral and Echostar. Slim, who does not take part formally in the candidature yet, would have reasons to do it, specially, due to the aggressive bet on television, proposed in Brazil, with its shareholding in Net, Colombia, where it is already the main subscription television carrier; in Mexico, where it is struggling for entering the TV offering, either through IPTV or acquiring a cable company, and in Central America, where it is planning to expand triple play offers.