AT&T launches 4G LTE in six Mexican cities - but not capital

Mexican newcomer AT&T has announced the launch of its 4G LTE network in Mexico, covering six cities in different states of the country, but not in Mexico City or Guadalajara.

4G LTE will be enjoyed first by the citizens of Atlacomulco in México state; Cuernavaca and Cuautla in Morelos state; and Pachuca, Tepeji and Tulancingo in Hidalgo state, according to a release from the company.

AT&T plans to expand its 4G LTE network to 40mn people in Mexico before the year-end, although it has not yet revealed which areas or cities will be next. The company will continue working towards reaching 75mn people by the end of 2016 and 100mn people by 2018.

The network is included in the AT&T Unidos wireless plans, meaning that it is available for Iusacell and Nextel users. Nextel and Iusacell will disappear in 2016, whereas Unefon will remain as a separate brand to focus on the pre-paid market.

For the rest of the year, Nextel and Iusacell will offer AT&T's plans instead of their own, as stated by CEO Thaddeus Arroyo in a press conference. The physical transformation of the brand will start later this year.

AT&T announced a US$3bn investment for the next three years in Mexico to build infrastructure, which the company has said is its priority rather than developing pay-TV offerings despite its recent acquisition of DirecTV.