Mexico to free up 600MHz band

Mexico is ahead of the international community in terms of the technical definitions needed to free up spectrum in the 600MHz band, said Luis Fernando Peláez, executive coordinator of telecom watchdog IFT.

Peláez told BNamericas at the Mexico Connect 2017 event that Mexico and New Zealand collaborated in the drawing up the technical definitions. The proposals have received support from other countries, he added.

The 600MHz band is currently being used to provide TV services in Mexico, but the authorities have begun reassigning frequencies in the band in preparation for a process known as the second digital dividend.

According to Peláez, the 600MHz band has features that make it suitable for mobile broadband services, just like the 700MHz band. The latter constitutes the first digital dividend and is now assigned for the Red Compartida wholesale network project.

Peláez said that prior to the telecoms reform Mexico had assigned 222MHz of spectrum, and now the country has 450MHz assigned.

According to the IFT's estimates, Mexico will have assigned 600MHz by 2019, almost 30% of what the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) recommended for 2020.

Although the IFT has stated that the tender for the 2.5GHz band could take place in the next two years, Peláez told the event that the process will begin in the third quarter of this year.