Dominant Mexican carrier America Movil more than doubled the amount of money spent by U.S.-based wireless carrier AT&T in Mexico’s recent spectrum auction.
According to a release from Mexico’s Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT), America Movil subsidiary Radiomóvil Dipsa spent nearly 2.1 billion pesos ($117 million) to AT&T’s 1.03 billion pesos ($57 million).
The money helped Radiomóvil secure two swaths of spectrum each in the AWS-1 and AWS-3 bands, namely the airwaves from 1710-1730 MHz and 2110-2130 MHz in the AWS-1 Band and 1760-1780 MHz and 2160-2180 MHz in the AWS-3 band. AT&T, by contrast, left the auction with two swaths in the AWS-1 band, including the chunks from 1730-1755 MHz and 2130-2155 MHz.
The AWS-3 bands from 1755-1760 MHz and 2155-2160 MHz were left unassigned at the close of the auction, the IFT said.
As a result of the auction, the IFT said both operators will have access to more contiguous spectrum to provide “better mobile services, better prices and a greater speed in the transmission of data for end users.”
The IFT said Radiomóvil and AT&T have 30 days to make their payments.
AT&T’s participation in the auction came as part of the carrier’s effort to expand its wireless coverage south of the border following its acquisition of Iusacell and Nextel Mexico.
The carrier, which began a rebranding effort in Mexico six months ago, has said it plans to spend $3 billion to expand its wireless coverage to 100 million people in the country by the end of 2018.
Filed Under: Telecommunications (Spectrum)
