Spanish telecom operator Telef ó nica has lost its latest bid to avoid a € 152 million (US$211 million) fine for blocking competition in Spain's broadband market.

The European Commission imposed the fine in 2007 when it found the company guilty of margin squeeze and on Thursday Europe's second highest court rejected Telef ó nica's attempts to have the decision overturned.

A margin squeeze occurs when a dominant company makes it impossible for competitors to make a profit. Between 2001 and 2006, Telef ó nica's wholesale prices charged to competitors to use its nationwide fixed telephone network (the only one in the country) was such that they could not compete with the retail prices Telef ó nica charged its customers.

The result was Spanish consumers paying 20 percent more than the European average for their broadband connection due to the lack of competition, something the European Commission takes very seriously in its antitrust rules.

However, Telef ó nica says it was acting in accordance with Spain's national telecommunications regulator and the Spanish state backed it up, saying that the Commission had upset the balance between national regulation and E.U. regulation.

The Commission says that Telef ó nica knew it was indulging in margin squeeze and that the estimates made by the Spanish regulator were not matched by its own business plan.

Telef ó nica says it will appeal Thursday's ruling to the European General Court.

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