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Telecommunications and broadcasting in Mexico: the single concession, spectrum and foreign ownership

Last verified: 2026-10-26 · Status: Changing

Any public telecommunications or broadcasting service in Mexico needs a single concession (concesión única) from the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT), granted to Mexican individuals or companies for up to 30 years and renewable for equal periods. Telecom companies may be 100 percent foreign owned, while broadcasting is capped at 49 percent subject to reciprocity and needs a prior favorable opinion of the Foreign Investment Commission; commercial spectrum is awarded by public tender for up to 20 years. The 2025 law replaced the Federal Telecommunications Institute with the CRT; in 2026 the title duty for a commercial single concession is MXN 27,186 and renewal MXN 12,028.

USD conversions use MXN 18.6638 per US dollar, the US Federal Reserve H.10 noon buying rate in New York for 23 October 2026 (FRED series DEXMXUS), the latest observation available when this page was verified. Legal conversions in Mexico use the Banxico FIX, which differs slightly. Conversions are for orientation only. Fines set in UMA use the 2026 daily UMA of MXN 117.31 published by INEGI in the DOF of 9 January 2026.

Key facts

Maximum term of a single telecom and broadcasting concession	30 yearsLMTR art. 51, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum term of a spectrum or orbital resource concession	20 yearsLMTR art. 54, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Foreign ownership cap in telecommunications services	100 %LIE arts. 4 and 7 (not listed), as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Foreign ownership cap in broadcasting (subject to reciprocity)	49 %LIE art. 7, section III, item x), as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Duty to issue a commercial single concession title, 2026	27186 MXNLFD art. 174-B, section I a); RMF 2026 Annex 4, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Minimum time from grant before a concession may be assigned	3 yearsLMTR art. 92, as of 2026-10-26 · in force

The rule

1. New regulator. The 2025 law created the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT) and the Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency. The Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) kept working until the CRT's five member board was appointed, ratified and its chair designated; on the following day the IFT was extinguished, the 2014 Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law was repealed and references to the IFT were read as references to the CRT or to the National Antimonopoly Commission. Board terms are staggered to end in 2028 to 2032.
Cost to do it: No fee for the transition; filings are now made to the CRT.
Example: A fiber operator whose IFT concession was granted in 2018 now deals with the CRT for any modification or renewal; its title stays valid. / No currency amount applies.Ley en Materia de Telecomunicaciones y Radiodifusión (LMTR), new law DOF 16 July 2025, LMTR art. 3 and transitory arts. Segundo to Sexto and Octavo, 2025-07-16 official text · verified 2026-10-26 · changed: The LMTR of 16 July 2025 replaced the IFT with the CRT and repealed the law of 14 July 2014 once the CRT board was integrated.

2. Single concession. A single concession is needed to provide any public telecommunications or broadcasting service. By purpose it is commercial (for profit through a public network), public (government bodies and the State internet company), private (private communications) or social (non profit, including community, indigenous and Afro Mexican concessions and private universities). It is granted only to Mexican individuals or companies; foreign investment in the concessionaire follows the Constitution and the Foreign Investment Law. It lasts up to 30 years and may be renewed for equal periods if requested within the year before the start of the last fifth of the term; the CRT decides within 180 business days, and silence means the renewal is granted.
Cost to do it: 2026 duties: title for commercial or social use MXN 27,186; renewal MXN 12,028; renewal for public use MXN 11,681 (LFD art. 174-B, RMF 2026 Annex 4).
Example: A 30 year concession granted in March 2027 enters its last fifth in March 2051, so the renewal request must be filed between March 2050 and March 2051. / Title duty about USD 1,457; renewal about USD 644.Ley en Materia de Telecomunicaciones y Radiodifusión (LMTR), new law DOF 16 July 2025, LMTR arts. 45 to 51 and 96, 2025-07-16 official text · verified 2026-10-26

3. Spectrum and orbital resources. Concessions to use spectrum bands of determined use or orbital resources last up to 20 years and are renewable for equal periods. Commercial spectrum is awarded by public tender against payment of a consideration, weighing the economic offer, coverage and quality, lower user prices, prevention of concentration, entry of new competitors and the concession program; the economic factor can never be the only one. Bases include a minimum reference value and competition criteria with the antitrust authority's opinion (10 business days). Spectrum renewal must be requested within the year before the last fifth of the term (broadcasting no later than six months before expiry); within 30 business days the CRT decides whether there is public interest in recovering the spectrum.
Cost to do it: Tender considerations are set per tender; tenders below the minimum reference value are declared void (LMTR art. 59).
Example: A mobile operator holding a 20 year band license due to expire in 2034 must apply for renewal by early 2030, when the last fifth (four years) begins. / No statutory amount; considerations depend on each tender.Ley en Materia de Telecomunicaciones y Radiodifusión (LMTR), new law DOF 16 July 2025, LMTR arts. 54 to 60 and 97, 2025-07-16 official text · verified 2026-10-26

4. Foreign ownership. Telecommunications services carry no foreign ownership cap under the Foreign Investment Law. Broadcasting is capped at 49 percent, subject to reciprocity with the country of the investor or its ultimate controller, and any broadcasting concession request involving foreign investment needs a prior favorable opinion of the Foreign Investment Commission (CNIE), which checks the limits. A concession or its assets may never be assigned, pledged or transferred to a foreign government or State.
Cost to do it: CNIE application duty of MXN 10,448 in 2026 (LFD art. 72, section I).
Example: A US media group may own 49 percent of a Mexican TV broadcaster if US law gives reciprocal treatment, after a favorable CNIE opinion; it may own 100 percent of a Mexican internet service provider. / The CNIE duty is about USD 560.Ley de Inversión Extranjera, art. 7, section III, item x), reformed DOF 26 June 2017; Ley en Materia de Telecomunicaciones y Radiodifusión (LMTR), new law DOF 16 July 2025, LIE art. 7, section III, item x); LMTR arts. 50, 56 and 93, 2025-07-16 official text · verified 2026-10-26

5. Transfers and ownership reporting. Only commercial and private concessions may be assigned, with prior CRT approval granted within 40 business days, and only after three years from the grant. For commercial concessions the assignor first needs a favorable opinion from the antitrust authority. Mergers, spin offs and restructurings within the same control group need no approval. Concessionaire companies must file their shareholding structure with the CRT by 30 June each year, listing holders of 5 percent or more.
Cost to do it: Duty for a change of concession holder by assignment: MXN 23,818 in 2026 (LFD art. 174-C, section II).
Example: An investor buying a regional cable operator's concession in its second year must wait until year three to apply for the assignment, or buy the company's shares instead. / No currency threshold applies.Ley en Materia de Telecomunicaciones y Radiodifusión (LMTR), new law DOF 16 July 2025, LMTR arts. 92 to 94, 2025-07-16 official text · verified 2026-10-26

Worked example

A Spanish fiber company sets up a 100 percent owned Mexican subsidiary and applies to the CRT for a commercial single concession, paying the 2026 title duty of MXN 27,186 (about USD 1,457). It does not need spectrum, so no tender applies. If it later wanted a stake in a TV broadcaster, it would be limited to 49 percent subject to reciprocity and would need a CNIE opinion first.

Step by step

1. Incorporate a Mexican company; confirm foreign ownership limits (none for telecom, 49 percent for broadcasting).
2. Apply to the CRT for a single concession and pay the LFD art. 174-B duty.
3. If spectrum is needed, follow the CRT tender calendar and bases; obtain the antitrust opinion where required.
4. File the shareholding structure with the CRT by 30 June every year.
5. Calendar renewal windows: the year before the last fifth of the term.

Common traps

Assigning a concession before three years have passed (LMTR art. 92).
Missing the renewal window; for spectrum the CRT may decide to recover the band (LMTR art. 97).
Exceeding 49 percent in broadcasting through trusts or voting agreements (LIE art. 7).

Sources

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