Introduction
In just one year, Mexico has made significant strides in transforming the institutional, legal, and operational framework surrounding telecommunications and digital affairs. This transformation has equipped the government with the necessary tools to deploy infrastructure, regulate services, manage spectrum, and exercise satellite and cybersecurity policies.
New Institutions and Legal Framework
The Agency for Digital Transformation and Telecommunications (ATDT) has established its internal regulations, while the new Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law outlines renewed responsibilities for the Executive branch. The autonomous regulatory body has been dissolved, paving the way for the installation of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT), directly under the Federal Executive.
Public Capabilities and Digital Deployment
Mexico now possesses a robust framework of public capabilities, which, when properly coordinated, can accelerate broadband coverage and digitalization. The government has state-owned operators (Altán Redes and CFE Telecom) and organizations dedicated to fostering public investment (Promtel) and sector-aligned programs under the National Development Plan 2025-2030. The stage is set for extensive deployment of broadband and digital services.
Challenges Ahead
Despite the established framework, success is not guaranteed. As of 2024, Mexico has made progress with 83.1% of users and 73.6% of households having internet access, and near-universal smartphone usage. However, significant territorial and socioeconomic disparities remain (states like Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Guerrero lag behind, with even entities such as Veracruz and Puebla experiencing setbacks). Addressing these gaps requires targeted, sustained policy intervention.
Territorial and Socioeconomic Disparities
Failing to tackle these disparities would leave millions without essential services like online education, telemedicine, digitalized administrative tasks, and e-commerce opportunities.
Investment and Private Sector Involvement
While the government has introduced instruments for infrastructure provision, most network investment still comes from the private sector (approximately 70%). Achieving national coverage and technological upgrades (fiber optics, 5G, data centers, AI development) necessitates legal certainty, clear rules, and mechanisms for private capital participation without compromising competition and innovation.
Public Policy Priorities
To convert the framework into tangible results by 2030, three clear priorities must be addressed:
- Measurable Coverage and Quality Goals: Setting specific, measurable targets (e.g., halving the coverage deficit in lagging states by 2028 and achieving minimum broadband levels by 2030) requires transparency in public indicators and key performance metrics.
- Investment-Attracting Regulations: Government intervention in deployment can correct market failures where private operators don’t reach, but major investments in urban areas and cutting-edge technology will still rely on private operators and foreign capital.
- Digital Rights and Intervention Limits: The government controls radio-electric spectrum, public databases, satellite policy, and cybersecurity. This significant power ensures services and security but also poses risks like improper intervention, unaccounted surveillance, or innovation-stifling taxes.
Key Questions and Answers
- What are the recent transformations in Mexico’s telecommunications and digital affairs? The Mexican government has established new institutions, like the ATDT and CRT, and enacted a new Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law to strengthen its role in the sector.
- What challenges does Mexico face in digital deployment? Despite progress, significant territorial and socioeconomic disparities persist, requiring targeted policy intervention. Additionally, private sector investment remains crucial for infrastructure development.
- What are the public policy priorities to ensure successful digital transformation? Priorities include setting measurable coverage and quality goals, creating investment-attracting regulations, and defining digital rights and intervention limits.
