AT&T Mexico, a prominent player in the Mexican telecommunications sector, has its roots in Iusacell, a company founded in 1987 by the Peralta family. Over the years, Iusacell underwent several ownership changes, notably being acquired by Bell Atlantic (now Verizon Communications) and Vodafone Group in 2001. However, due to financial difficulties, these companies sold their stake to Ricardo Salinas Pliego's Movil@ccess in 2003. In November 2014, AT&T announced its acquisition of Iusacell for $2.5 billion, a deal that included $800 million in debt. This acquisition was completed on January 16, 2015. Shortly thereafter, AT&T also acquired Nextel Mexico for $1.875 billion from NII Holdings, finalizing the transaction by April 30, 2015. These strategic acquisitions allowed AT&T to establish a significant presence in the Mexican market, which was dominated by America Movil SAB. AT&T's entry into Mexico was bolstered by new telecommunication laws aimed at increasing competition, improving coverage, and reducing costs for consumers. The company invested an additional $3 billion through 2018 to expand its high-speed mobile broadband coverage to 100 million people. By the end of 2016, AT&T had rebranded Iusacell and Nextel stores under its own brand, while retaining the Unefon brand for low-end prepaid users.
Country
Mexico
Type
Mobile Network Operator
AT&T logo

3G Network

AT&T Mexico's 3G network was initially developed under the Iusacell and Nextel brands. Iusacell had been providing cellular services using CDMA technology, which was gradually phased out by AT&T. In 2016, AT&T shut down its CDMA network to refocus on more advanced technologies. The company continued to operate a 3G UMTS network, which was marketed as 4G due to its HSPA and HSPA+ capabilities. These services were provided using the 850 MHz CLR band (Band 5) and the 1.9 GHz PCS band (Band 2). The 3G network played a crucial role in AT&T's strategy to provide comprehensive coverage across Mexico, reaching approximately 90% of the population.

Network Frequency Band Status
B2 (1900 MHz)
Active
B5 (850 MHz)
Active
Date Event Subtype
Launch of 3G Network (Lusacell)
Launch
Launch of 3G Network (Nextel)
Launch

4G Network

The company began deploying its 4G LTE network in October 2014 under Nextel, rebranding to AT&T shortly after. By the end of 2015, AT&T's 4G LTE network covered approximately 44 million people, surpassing its target of 40 million. The network utilised multiple frequency bands, including the 850 MHz CLR band, the 1.7/2.1 GHz AWS band (Band 4), and the 1.9 GHz PCS band. Additionally, AT&T acquired spectrum in the 2.6 GHz band (Band 7) in a 2018 auction, which was used to enhance LTE capacity and coverage. AT&T's aggressive expansion strategy aimed to cover 100 million people with its 4G LTE network by the end of 2018. By the first quarter of 2017, the network had already reached 85 million people across 111 Mexican cities.

4G Frequency Bands
Network Frequency Band Max. Channel Bandwidth Status Known EARFCNs
B4 (1700 MHz)
20
Active
2250
B5 (850 MHz)
Active
2475
B7 (2600 MHz)
20
Active
3150
B38 (2600 MHz)
20
Shut Down
B38 (2600 MHz)
20
Shut Down
B66 (1700 MHz)
Active
66736
Date Event Subtype
Launch of 4G Network
Launch

5G Network

AT&T Mexico embarked on its 5G journey in December 2021, becoming the first mobile network operator in the country to initiate a 5G NR network using its 2.5 GHz spectrum (refarmed from its 4G network). The initial rollout was limited to select areas in Mexico City, specifically the Cuauhtémoc and Napoles districts. In 2022, AT&T expanded its 5G coverage to include major cities such as Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. The company announced plans to extend its 5G network infrastructure to 25 new cities across Mexico by the end of 2022. AT&T's 5G network leveraged its existing spectrum assets, including the 2.6 GHz IMT-E band (Band 38) and the 3.5 GHz C-band (n78), acquired from the Nextel merger. The 5G rollout was part of AT&T's broader strategy to contribute to the development of a 5G ecosystem in Mexico, offering enhanced connectivity and personalized services through AT&T Ármalo and AT&T Business.

Network Frequency Band Max. Channel Bandwidth Status
n38 (2600 MHz)
40
Active
n78 (3500 MHz)
50
Active
Date Event Subtype
Launch of 5G Network
Launch