Regulation

Mexico plans to auction spectrum for 5G private networks

Mexico plans to auction spectrum for 5G private networks

Mexico's Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT) has announced plans for an auction of upper 2.3GHz spectrum that will apparently be reserved for private 5G and auctioned to industrial players.

There will be 60 MHz auctioned; this is a significant revision of original plans to reserve 40 MHz suggested when an earlier plan was submitted to public consultation between 18 June and 15 July this year.

The tender (called CRT-RRI-01-2026) will be in two phases. The first targets 72 strategic regions identified for regional projects. If spectrum remains available, it may be assigned to what are described as specific and delimited areas, according to the needs of the participants.

The aim is to promote automation, advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, remote monitoring and real-time data analysis in sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, mining, ports, energy, agro-industry and industrial parks.

The tender also seeks to accelerate the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies and contribute to making productive activities more efficient and safer, in addition to strengthening the competitiveness of companies.

The CRT has called on interested parties to express their intention to participate between October 19 and 23, 2026. However, there us little further information available at the moment. No pricing systems or auction timetable seem to have been specified, even though such considerations that may affect the cost of entry for the future operators of these networks.

As local reports point out, these won't be the country's first private 5G networks. It’s been about a year since the, now defunct, Federal Institute of Telecommunications of Mexico (IFT) delivered 100MHz of radio spectrum in the 3.5GHz band for use of 5G private networks to a company called TXM Global Services, for what was described as a 5G laboratory.

Indeed private network rollout goes back even further than this. Several LTE versions have been launched or planned, notably in the mining sector, while, in 2022, as we reported at the time, Nokia and AT&T Mexico deployed what they call the first industrial-grade LTE private network in a maritime terminal in the country.



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