Alexandra Borgeaud
Research expert covering cybersecurity and tech in Latin America
Telecoms in Mexico – statistics & facts
Thanks to society’s increasing reliance on high-speed internet and mobile data services, the telecommunication industry has been experiencing significant growth in recent years. In Mexico, the sector generated revenue of over 577 billion Mexican pesos in 2023, or around 34 billion U.S. dollars as of December 2023, up from 435 billion Mexican pesos in 2014. Of this amount, the mobile segment accounted for nearly 60 percent, followed by pay TV at around 25 percent, and then fixed-line services with the smallest share.
The unstoppable growth of the mobile segment
In general, mobile services have a significantly higher take-up than fixed-line services. For instance, in Mexico, there were 108 mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in 2023, as opposed to around 21 fixed phone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Mobile internet usage is strongly facilitated by the deployment of 5G across the Latin American country, with the number of 5G mobile connections in Mexico forecast to grow from 17 million in 2025 to 87 million by 2030. As the successor to 4G, 5G offers users lower latency, higher reliability, and better connection performance, and is expected to contribute greatly to digital transformation in Mexico.Familiar providers at the top
Telcel, owned by América Móvil, is not only a revenue powerhouse but also the most valuable Mexican brand. As a fixed-line phone service and broadband internet provider, Telcel’s revenues amounted to around 63 billion Mexican pesos at the end of 2023. Telcel is joined at the top by AT&T and Telefónica, which operates under the name Movistar in Mexico. However, the Madrid-based service provider is not a direct competitor to Telcel and AT&T, as Movistar’s services are mainly focused on mobile phone services. Even so, Telcel remains the leading provider in the mobile market, accounting for a market share of around 78 percent at the end of 2023. The three companies are also engaged in a race for 5G network deployment in Mexico. As of June 2023, there were three 5G networks deployed in Mexico, owned by Telcel, Movistar, and AT&T, respectively. Looking forward, the three telecoms giants will have to continue to harness technological developments and offer innovative services to maintain their leading spot on the Mexican market.
