Overview of the Mobile Telecom Industry in Latin America
Brazil and Mexico accounted for 66.1% of the revenue generated by the mobile telecom industry in Latin America during 2024, according to a report by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Despite stable income levels in both markets, mobile companies have maintained a steady upward trend in acquiring postpaid customers.
Mobile Access and Growth
S&P Global Market Intelligence’s report also revealed that Brazil and Mexico held 61.9% of all active mobile cellular accesses in Latin America for the year 2024. The region had a total of 677.5 million mobile accesses, with 15 million new net additions in 2024.
According to analyst Bruno do Amaral, this represents a 2.3% annual growth in net additions from 2023 to 2024, with the prepaid segment still transitioning towards 5G in a market led primarily by this niche.
Mobile Penetration and User Behavior
Do Amaral noted that mobile penetration is already high in the region, reaching 126% in 2024 with over 500 million inhabitants. Unlike M2M connections and the Internet of Things, this level of mobile penetration is due to users having multiple SIM cards to avoid interconnection tariffs and obtain more affordable or free call and text services.
Mexico’s Role in Mobile Telecom
In 2024, Mexico represented 11.5% of postpaid accesses and 32.3% of prepaid mobile accesses at the regional level, suggesting a promising market for migrating prepaid users to contract-based plans.
Technology Adoption
The region predominantly uses 4G-LTE networks, with 288.1 million accesses accounting for 44.6%. 5G technology accumulated 40 million lines in 2024, with Mexico holding 64% or 16.2 million accesses.
Base Station Availability
The region had over 250,000 radio bases in 2024, with approximately 2,433 people per tower. Mexico and Central America experienced a 1.71% increase in base station availability, while South America saw a 1.87% growth.
5G Spectrum Allocation
The most popular 5G spectrum band, the 3.5 GHz radio frequency, is already available for exploitation in countries like Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru, as per the report.
Key Questions and Answers
- What percentage of mobile telecom revenue in Latin America did Brazil and Mexico account for in 2024? Brazil and Mexico accounted for 66.1% of the mobile telecom revenue in Latin America during 2024.
- What was the growth rate of mobile accesses in Latin America from 2023 to 2024? The mobile accesses in Latin America experienced a 2.3% annual growth rate from 2023 to 2024.
- What percentage of mobile accesses in Latin America were held by Brazil and Mexico in 2024? Brazil and Mexico held 61.9% of all active mobile cellular accesses in Latin America for the year 2024.
- What is the primary mobile technology used in Latin America? 4G-LTE networks are predominantly used, with 44.6% of mobile accesses.
- Which countries have access to the 3.5 GHz spectrum for 5G technology? Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru have access to the 3.5 GHz spectrum for 5G technology.
