About Grupo IUSA and its Return to Mobile Telephony
Grupo IUSA, a pioneering company that popularized mobile telephony services in Mexico with the establishment of Iusacell in 1987, has re-entered the mobile telephony market through the brand “Iusatel,” partnering with Altán Redes as their supplier of equipment.
Iusatel’s Offerings and Partnership
Iusatel, the 141st operator to join Altán Redes’ network, offers nationwide mobile voice and data services in Mexico. Their flagship package includes 15 GB of data for unlimited web browsing and social media use for 30 days at a cost of 212 Mexican pesos.
Iusatel initially launches with nine mobile internet packages, each valid for 30 days, six months, or one year. The annual plan retails at 1,968 pesos for a monthly data allocation of 40 GB and limited social media access.
Company Structure and History
Iusatel is directly operated by VPN de México S.A. de C.V., with its corporate office located at the same premises as Grupo IUSA, in Mexico City’s western district.
VPN de México S.A. de C.V. comprises Compañía Blerafln S.A. de C.V. and Grupo C. P. Q. S.A. de C.V. as shareholders.
VPN de México is associated with IUSA Medición and Iusacomm, which in turn commercializes fixed internet packages.
Grupo IUSA exited the Mexican mobile telephony market 30 years ago by selling an initial package of Iusacell shares to Bell Atlantic, now Verizon from the United States.
Iusacell was then Mexico’s largest cellular service provider, operating on radiofrequency bands of 1800-1900 MHz and employing CDMA technology initially, later transitioning to GSM.
Iusacell’s leadership waned with the emergence of Telcel’s “Amigo” package, which enabled Telcel to dominate the prepaid segment. Meanwhile, Iusacell maintained a focus on postpaid services.
“Amigo” propelled Telcel to mass popularity, while Iusacell’s “Viva” response arrived too late to the market, as “Amigo” had already established itself as the market leader.
Grupo IUSA sold another stake in Iusacell to Vodafone at the turn of the century, effectively exiting the Mexican mobile telephony business.
Vodafone eventually sold this stake to Mobile Access of the Salinas Group, which, after an unsuccessful alliance with Televisa to strengthen Iusacell, sold all physical and intangible assets of the company to AT&T in 2015. AT&T merged Iusacell and Nextel, which they had previously acquired, into a new operator serving approximately 23 million cellular customers.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is Grupo IUSA? Grupo IUSA is a pioneering company that previously popularized mobile telephony services in Mexico through Iusacell.
- When did Grupo IUSA exit the mobile telephony market? Grupo IUSA exited the Mexican mobile telephony market approximately 30 years ago.
- What is Iusatel? Iusatel is a new mobile telephony brand operated by VPN de México S.A. de C.V., offering nationwide voice and data services in Mexico.
- What packages does Iusatel offer? Iusatel initially launches with nine mobile internet packages, ranging from 30-day to one-year plans.
- What is the significance of Iusacell’s past? Iusacell was once Mexico’s largest cellular service provider, operating on various radiofrequency bands and employing CDMA and GSM technologies.
- What led to Iusacell’s decline? Iusacell’s market position weakened due to the success of Telcel’s “Amigo” package, which dominated the prepaid segment.
