Latin America with 50 networks has lagged behind due to extended and expensive auctions, Brazil and Chile are the exception after tenders that triggered the deployment of 5G.
Santiago Yunes, The CIU
The fifth generation of mobile communications (5G) has established itself as a key driver for competitiveness and economic development at a global level. 5G connectivity is a pillar for innovation, productivity and production efficiency. Hence, the importance of its deployment and effective use among the various regions and countries of the world.
In recent years, countries that were historically lagging behind have successfully completed exclusive tenders and deployed high-capacity 5G networks. Without formal auctions and with radio spectrum bands still fragmented, there are no essential conditions for the transition and accessibility to this new generation of connectivity services, as is the case in Mexico.
This limits strategic sectors that require high-speed and low-latency capacities, which makes it urgent to execute an accurate auction schedule, affordable spectrum rates and adoption of international best practices to transform this lag into opportunities and avoid being left out of the 5G era.
Global Overview of 5G Deployment
When comparing between different regions of the world, Europe is positioned as the leading region in terms of the number of 5G networks available, with a total of 122 networks deployed at the end of the first half of 2025. [1] This reflects the strong commitment of European countries to technological innovation and their focus on advanced telecommunications infrastructure.
Countries such as Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom are leading the efforts to expand these networks, through accelerated deployment and adoption of regulations that favor next-generation connectivity.
In second place, by the number of networks deployed, is Asia, with a total of 76. This is a result of the technological leadership of countries such as China, South Korea and Japan, which have been pioneers in the transition to 5G.
In particular, China has deployed a large number of networks, driven by its position as a world leader in telecommunications equipment manufacturing and its heavy investment in infrastructure.
Recently, Africa (56 networks) overtook Latin America (50) as the third place for the number of 5G networks. This is the result of three factors that Latin America has not been able to replicate: geographic fragmentation, flexible regulations that free up temporary spectrum (for example, South Africa authorized borrowed bands during the pandemic), and a strong push from providers to finance equipment and accelerate deployment, while several countries use 5G for the provision of fixed wireless broadband and close the connectivity gap.
Latin America is in fourth place, with a total of 50 5G networks. Several Latin American markets are still tied to expensive and extended auctions, which delays the commercial start-up even when there is already demand. For example, Mexico postponed and canceled tenders due to high annual rates, thus discouraging competing operators.
Latin America is followed by the Middle East (26 networks), North America (18) and Oceania (18). This position derives from geographical and structural factors of each region.
For example, in the case of North America, it is made up of only two countries; United States and Canada. In the case of the former, major telecom operators have focused their efforts on urban and suburban coverage, while Canada has followed a more gradual approach.
Progress and Contrasts of 5G in Latin America
Latin America continues to face barriers that limit its progress compared to other regions of the world.
Brazil, as the continent's largest economy, is leading the deployment of 5G networks, with a total of seven active deployments. The spectrum auction held in 2021 marked a turning point by incentivizing investments from operators such as Claro, TIM and Vivo.The country has taken advantage of this technology not only to improve connectivity, but also to modernize strategic sectors such as agriculture, mining and manufacturing, promoting automation and the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT).
For its part, Chile is among the most advanced countries in the adoption of 5G in the region. After concluding its spectrum bidding process in 2021, it has channeled sustained efforts to boost next-generation mobile connectivity and foster digitalization in both the public and industrial sectors.
Colombia also shows progress in the implementation of 5G networks. The Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies (MinTIC) has underlined its strategic role in strengthening national competitiveness, especially in sectors such as telemedicine, digital education and the modernization of technological infrastructure.
At the beginning of 2024, Costa Rica and Panama were among the most backward in terms of 5G. However, they made a decisive turn by launching spectrum tenders that same year. In Costa Rica, the Superintendence of Telecommunications (SUTEL) approved in July, the specifications to assign medium (1-6 GHz) and millimeter (26 and 28 GHz) bands, a process that culminated a few months later with the award to seven operators.
For its part, Panama accelerated its 5G agenda in April last year, after the National Authority of Public Services (ASEP) made 91 MHz available to operators in the L band (1427-1518 MHz) and 3.25 GHz in millimeter bands (3.6 GHz), paving the way for the first commercial deployments.
With these measures, both countries abandoned the stagnation they were registering, a step that Mexico has not yet taken due to the absence of a formal tender and changes in the legislation of the Telecommunications sector.
In general terms, Latin America is going through a stage of accelerated growth in the deployment of 5G networks. Although significant obstacles remain, such as limited infrastructure coverage, low levels of investment, and unsupportive regulatory frameworks, an approach to public policies, financing, and strategies focused on digital inclusion would allow the region to fully reap the benefits of 5G, thereby fostering technological transformation and economic development in the near future.
The Case of Mexico: Between Lag and Opportunity
In Mexico, the absence of a bidding process has delayed access to optimal spectrum and delayed strategic decisions by operators. The 3.5 GHz band (which in most parts of the world serves as the backbone of 5G) remains occupied by legacy concessions and unfinished rearrangements, while medium blocks such as 2.5 GHz and 3.45 GHz are only partially exploited.
In addition, the formal 5G bidding process in Mexico has faced a lack of interest from operators due to high spectrum costs and unfavorable regulatory obligations. The Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) had to cancel a tender scheduled for 2024, after receiving a cancellation request from the Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency (ATDT), arguing that the new regulatory body would not have the necessary elements to continue the process in the terms defined by the IFT and that some activities would be extended until the first quarter of 2026. when the Institute itself will be extinct.
The DNA of 5G use is different for each country. In South Korea, networks were designed for mass consumption experiences; in Germany, to enable smart factories; and in Brazil, to promote precision agriculture.
Mexico has unique conditions to shape its own 5G footprint: the automotive cluster, manufacturing corridors, and multimodal logistics, among others. A clear, non-extendable and competitive auction schedule would allow the needs of these sectors (low latency, private networks, etc.) to be aligned with spectrum planning.
Without an effective tender, the country is limited to "pseudo-5G" services anchored in 4G architectures, incapable of delivering gigabits per second, latency below 10 ms and massive connectivity of devices, essential for the Internet of Things (IoT), industry 4.0 and autonomous driving, to mention a few use cases.
The dilemma is no longer whether Mexico will deploy 5G, but when and under what conditions. The country needs a transparent roadmap to make medium bands available, spectrum costs in line with competitive reality, the search for investment incentives and the adoption of international best practices are the essential steps for Mexico to become a protagonist of the 5G era.
