Factbox: Mexico fleshes out telecom overhaul to curb Slim, Televisa

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Monday sent to Congress measures to implement a new telecoms reform, handing sweeping powers to new regulator the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT).

The reform is designed to rein in the empires of telecoms billionaire Carlos Slim and Televisa's Emilio Azcarraga by imposing asymmetric regulation, controlling tariffs and threatening asset sales.

Here are some of the key proposals:

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The IFT is independent and will have wide powers for monitoring and sanctioning broadcast, internet and phone companies, including the ability to revoke concessions.

Among other issues, the IFT will have the final word on interconnection tariffs, when these are disputed, and on changes in the corporate structure of companies tied to license holders.

DOMINANCE

Dominant companies will submit end-user tariffs, discounts and packages to the IFT for approval. The regulator declared Slim's America Movil and Azcarraga's Grupo Televisa dominant companies earlier this month.

MUST CARRY, MUST OFFER

Pay-television providers must include free-to-air channels in their offering. Dominant broadcasters must offer their public programming to cable and other pay-television providers free of charge.

The IFT can revoke pay-television concessions if dominant agents benefit from the new must-offer, must-carry rules.

FINES

Concession-holders who break rules can be fined up to 5 percent of their revenue in Mexico. The fines will be double that in the case of repeat offences.

Link to secondary laws: http://link.reuters.com/gej87v

(Reporting By Christine Murray, Elinor Comlay and Tomas Sarmiento; Editing by David Gregorio)