Carlos Slim Helu plans to invest nearly US$4 billion next year to grow Telmex (NYSE: TMX), his Mexican fixed-line telephony business, and America Movil (NASDAQ: AMOV), his Latin American mobile phone business, according to a Reuters report.

He will invest approximately US$950 million in Telmex, with possible additional investment if the Mexican government authorizes Telmex to operate so-called triple play services — cable, Internet, and phone services using a single broadband connection.  (How is that for a carrot to Mexican government officials charged with granting Slim triple-play authority?)

He will invest approximately US$3 billion in America Movil to expand its cell phone network in Latin America.