Background on the Banco de Información de Telecomunicaciones (BIT)
The Banco de Información de Telecomunicaciones (BIT) is a comprehensive database that supports the work of Mexico’s radio and telecommunications industry from 2013 to 2025. It includes crucial information on investments in spectrum and fixed/mobile infrastructure, new cellular and radio coverage, internet penetration, emerging radio and television channels, user consumption habits, and daily updates on concessions across the country.
Created by the now-defunct Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFT), the BIT was built upon data gathered by its predecessor, the extinct Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones (Cofetel), between 1996 and 2013. The IFT’s BIT became a leading model for similar databases in Chile, Colombia, Peru, and other Iberoamerican countries.
Current Situation with the CRT
As of January 21, the BIT has not been updated for nearly 150 days under the Comisión Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones (CRT), which began operations on October 17. The CRT attributes the delays to a “data mess” left by the IFT, making it difficult to trace processes and deliverables.
The BIT’s relevance is significant, as it serves as a vital resource for businesses, local and foreign governments, civil organizations, and business chambers needing insights into Mexico’s telecommunications and radio industries. Its outdated content hampers the creation of business plans or diagnostics on internet penetration in Mexico.
The BIT’s data is crucial for designing regulatory policies affecting Telcel and Telmex-Telnor due to their dominant market positions, as well as determining if a regional third party remains part of the economic interest group led by Televisa in radio broadcasting.
The BIT has also been instrumental in supporting the Comisión Nacional Antimonopolio (CNA) in analyzing these industries contributing 4% to Mexico’s GDP. The lack of BIT updates may lead to potential conflicts between the CRT and CNA regarding statistical data availability.
BIT’s Historical Impact
The BIT has historically provided essential data for various regulatory decisions, such as halting the sale of a Grupo ACIR station to a religious group in Mexico City and supporting Telmex’s partition into minorist and majorist companies.
The BIT tracked monthly number portability, exposing Telefónica’s true customer base in Mexico after the company stopped disclosing these figures to protect its stock value on the Madrid Stock Exchange.
In mid-2025, the BIT team revealed that Walmart’s mobile virtual operator, BAIT, had 58% fewer active users than reported to investors. This discrepancy prevented the CRT from publicly stating that BAIT surpassed 24 million consumers in Mexico, contradicting the IFT’s claim of nearly 9 million active users 150 days prior.
CRT’s Response to BIT Issues
When questioned about its handling of the BIT, the CRT acknowledged delays in updates since the IFT’s existence. The issues included insufficient training on 2024 guidelines, lack of detailed process maps, and the absence of automated information validation processes.
- No proper training on the 2024 guidelines led to confusion among operators when filling out information.
- Absence of detailed process maps, including inputs, resources, codes, and databases, hindered the BIT’s statistical accrual.
- Lack of automated information validation processes made it difficult to ensure data accuracy.
Despite these challenges, the CRT confirmed an upcoming data update by February 15, 2026, at the latest, for the second quarter of 2025.
New Telecommunications Law and its Implications
The new Ley en Materia de Telecomunicaciones y Radiodifusión (LMTR) may grant the CRT time to address BIT issues, as the previous Ley Federal de Telecomunicaciones y Radiodifusión (LFTR) mandated the IFT to publish BIT reports quarterly. However, the LMTR removed the timeframe for reporting.
The LMTR’s Article XLVII requires publishing sector statistical information and metrics, but it does not specify a reporting schedule. It remains unclear if the IFT’s alleged BIT disarray was overlooked during the institutional transition, as per the LMTR’s ninth transitional article.
While the CRT develops new indicators using the BIT, the 2024 IFT guidelines for updating the BIT remain in effect.
