Introduction to the Telecommunications Landscape in Mexico
In the first half of 2025, Telefónica Movistar emerged as the leading telecommunications company in Mexico regarding cellular number portability, outperforming its main competitors BAIT and Telcel. This success is particularly noteworthy given the ongoing economic slowdown in Mexico and BAIT’s aggressive strategy to push AT&T and Telefónica to third and fourth place in the local mobile market.
Movistar’s Performance
Telefónica Movistar recorded a net gain of 32,667 cellular lines due to portability in the first half of 2025. This performance surpassed BAIT, which saw an 18.6% decrease, and Telcel, experiencing a 42.02% decline compared to their respective figures from the first half of 2024.
BAIT and Telcel’s Performance
BAIT managed to attract 244,024 net additions, a decrease from the 299,881 additions in the first half of 2024. Telcel secured a net addition of 359,187 portations; however, this figure represents a significant drop from the 619,603 net additions in the first half of 2024.
Volume Analysis
In terms of raw volume, Telcel remains the leader in portability additions, with 3,637,911 users switching to their network during the first half of 2025. Telefónica Movistar followed closely with 1,764,194 users and BAIT with 1,180,397 users. AT&T trailed behind with 789,847 users.
Monthly Performance
In the first half of 2025, Movistar excelled in May, gaining 16,846 net users. BAIT’s best month was April with 95,877 net users gained. Similarly, AT&T experienced its least net losses in April with 113,679 users.
Telcel’s peak month was March with 96,279 net users ported to their network. However, Telcel failed to surpass 100,000 net users ported throughout the first half of 2025, last achieving this milestone in September 2024.
BAIT’s Uneven User Acquisition
BAIT’s user acquisition displayed inconsistency throughout the first half of 2025. In January, BAIT acquired 31,605 users; in February, this figure dropped to 10,973; and further decreased to 2,207 in March. BAIT then experienced a surge in April with 95,877 users, followed by a loss of 25,852 users in May. The company concluded the half with a net gain of 33,337 users in June.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who are the main players in Mexico’s telecommunications market? The primary competitors are Telefónica Movistar, BAIT, Telcel, and AT&T.
- What is the significance of portability in this context? Portability refers to users switching their cellular numbers from one service provider to another, indicating market share shifts and competitive performance.
- Why is Movistar’s performance noteworthy? Despite being in the process of exiting the Mexican market, Movistar’s strong portability performance suggests a successful strategy, possibly linked to offering 5G services through AT&T’s network.
- What challenges does BAIT face? BAIT’s inconsistent user acquisition and aggressive market positioning strategies may pose challenges in achieving its goals.
