IFT, Mexico’s telecoms regulator, has approved Telcel, an entity of America Movil, to offer 5G services, clearing the way for Latin America’s largest commercial 5G network, according to the watchdog.
The IFT approved the revision of 18 concession titles late Wednesday, allowing Telcel to launch its planned 5G services in its home nation across frequency bands in the 3450-3550 MHz section, according to a statement from the regulator.
Executives at America Movil, which is controlled by the family of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, told investors on Wednesday that 5G would be available in 90% of the company’s territories this year.
“With this, Telcel will be able to launch Latin America’s largest commercial 5G network…. As a result, our country will be at the vanguard of the deployment of fifth-generation mobile services,” the IFT said in a statement.
According to the IFT, Telcel will pay Mexico more than 900 million pesos ($44.05 million) every year in fees for the authorization, as required by federal law.
America Movil’s spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The approval for 5G services comes only weeks after the Mexican regulator nixed the company’s long-term plan to enter the pay-TV market.
Deemed a “preponderant agent” by the IFT due to its market share, America Movil had been barred from providing pay-TV in Mexico since the privatization of state telecom firm Telmex in the early 1990s. That later evolved into America Movil.
