Mexico City, Mexico — The Mexican government has created a new Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law. According to President Claudia Sheinbaum, the new law aims to connect 15 million Mexicans without internet access.
Sheinbaum pointed out that the initiative separates economic competition functions and transfers them to the Antitrust Commission, created within the Ministry of Economy, to restore the right to audiences and community radio stations.
She says with the new law, the CFE will be able to provide internet service in areas without coverage and on equal terms with private companies. The powers previously held by the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) will be transferred to the Commission, the Agencia de Transformación Digital y Telecomunicaciones (ATDT) or the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation (SICT).
It also restores the right of audiences to truthful information, the right of community radio stations to promote their rights and in the case of the internet, allows the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) to provide service in areas without coverage and on an equal footing with private companies.
“There are many places without coverage and we want coverage in those places. How? There’s legislation in Brazil—that’s where we took it—whereby the private sector, for example, can say, ‘I’ll provide you with coverage in this entire area free of charge based on the concession rights’; that can be done.
“The other option is that CFE-Internet, Internet para Todos, can more easily access its coverage. So, that’s essentially what we’re proposing. Is it significant in terms of changes? Well, there are changes, but they’re for the good of Mexico and of Mexicans, but at the same time it allows the private sector to continue doing all its work,” she explained.
She also highlighted that Article 109 of the bill, which was intended to accompany the VAT Law on platforms for the sale of goods, was eliminated to avoid confusion. Article 210 establishes that no foreign government may engage in political, ideological, or commercial propaganda for foreign governments except for the promotion of tourism, culture or sports.
The head of the ATDT, José Antonio Peña Merino, explained that of the 15 million people without internet access, 10.2 million live in areas without coverage while 4.4 million live in areas with coverage but lack the resources to purchase the service.
He recalled that during the term of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, new infrastructure was installed to provide connectivity to different areas. This increased the number of localities connected to a public network from 13,000 to 141,000, representing a shift from 40 million to 97 million people. This led to the creation of the Connectivity for Well-being program , which provided 2.9 million cell phone SIM cards with a free 5 GB monthly service and 1,500 minutes for calls.
However, today, only 92 percent of the population lives in areas with coverage: 96 percent in towns with more than 2,500 inhabitants; 62 percent in towns with fewer than 2,500 inhabitants and 26 percent in areas with fewer than 200 inhabitants. Therefore, this new law seeks to regulate access to and use of communication signals to connect all Mexicans.
He specified that this is a law that will allow public spectrum to be used by government authorities and offices for free internet, for Welfare Programs and in public places. The commercial spectrum now includes CFE and private companies on an equal footing. In addition, there will be social and highway coverage by telecommunications companies in exchange for discounts on spectrum payments.
Community, social and public operators will also be able to connect to the networks of large operators, and infrastructure will be shared equally, with affordable and non-discriminatory costs.
At the same time, easy access to the spectrum is provided when it is not used for commercial purposes, such as education, research, industry, and automation, which is linked to Plan Mexico, as well as for small businesses.
He added that, as part of this law, public and community radio stations will have fewer requirements for accessing spectrum, especially in Indigenous and Afro-Mexican areas and will also be able to access sponsorships and advertising from local businesses. The law also includes simplification and standardization of deployment and infrastructure procedures.
Other important changes include establishing user rights, such as access to open devices that accept SIM cards from any company and can be recharged at any establishment. Measures are also being implemented to prevent the loss of orbital resources currently owned by Mexico, and, where appropriate, to implement contingency and replacement plans.
Guidelines are also being established for the organization and removal of unused cabling and signals are being blocked in penitentiary centers, which are managed by telecommunications companies, to prevent cell phone misuse.
He reported that, in addition, a decentralized collegiate body will be created within the ATDT, with technical independence, composed of five councilors who will be nominated by the Federal Executive and ratified by the Senate.
