America Movil, the top mobile phone operator in Latin America, said today that it has inked a deal to bring the Apple iPhone to more than a dozen countries starting later this year.

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Mexico-based America Movil, which operates in 16 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the United States, did not disclose financial details - including whether it would be the exclusive iPhone provider in the targeted countries.

Apple has so far struck exclusive deals for the iPhone with AT&T in the United States, O2 in Britain, T-Mobile in Germany and France Telecom's Orange wireless arm in France.

The company plans further expansion later this year through the partnership with Mexico City-based America Movil, which boasts 159.2 million subscribers in 16 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico.

In the past couple of weeks, Apple has also signed deals with Rogers Communications to sell the device in Canada; Milan-based Telecom Italia to sell the iPhone in Italy; and Vodafone, the world's largest mobile company by sales, to sell it in a total of 10 countries, including Australia, India, Italy and Turkey.

"We're excited to be working with America Movil to bring the iPhone to Latin America later this year, and we can't wait to get this revolutionary phone in the hands of even more people around the world," said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris.

Apple has so far sold 5.4 million iPhones worldwide, based on data as of the end of Apple's fiscal second quarter, which ended in March. Apple has a goal of selling 10 million iPhones by the end of this year.

America Movil, controlled by billionaire Carlos Slim, had more than 159 million cell phone subscribers at the end of March. It also had almost 4 million fixed-line clients.

- Apple iPhone Specs

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