América Móvil claims it will be the first to deploy 5G

Mexico's América Móvil will be the first to offer 5G services as it looks to connect people to devices such as autonomous cars and houses, company chairman Carlos Slim Domit told an event in Mexico City.

The giant telco has been deploying 4.5G networks in Mexico, Brazil, Austria and the Dominican Republic, the company said earlier this year. It expects to cover at least 76 of Mexico's largest cities with the technology, which is10 times faster than current leading standard 4G, by the end of this year.

"We have been pioneers in the development of prepaid, in deploying the latest technologies and will be first in 5G, detonating connectivity not just among people but also between things," Slim Domit was quoted as saying by local media. He did not specify whether he meant the first in Mexico or elsewhere.

Several countries in the region are currently in the process of either liberating spectrum earmarked for 5G, such as Mexico with its plan to allocate the 600MHz band, or deciding which bands to tender for next-generation mobile services, like Brazil.

América Móvil is the largest telecoms company in Latin America with around 360mn subscribers from Mexico to Argentina. The company has announced investments of up to US$8bn this year.