Telecommunications and Broadcasting Act

On July 16, 2025, the new Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law (LMTR) was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF), marking a significant change in the sector’s institutional and regulatory framework.

This new law was enacted in the context of constitutional reforms in our country, which aim to streamline the government by eliminating various autonomous constitutional bodies, such as the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT), among others.

Below is an executive summary of the LMTR highlighting its key points, with the aim of explaining the most significant changes in this area, which will affect all public telecommunications and broadcasting service providers in our country, as well as individuals and companies involved in the sector.

With the enactment of this new law, the former Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law, which had been in effect since 2014, is repealed, and establishes a new regulatory framework that redistributes the functions and powers previously held by the IFT among three different authorities: the Agency for Digital Transformation and Telecommunications (ATDT), the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT), and the National Antitrust Commission (CNA).

New Governing Bodies:

The CRT is established as a decentralized body of the ATDT, with technical and operational autonomy; it will be responsible for the regulation, supervision, and orderly development of telecommunications and broadcasting services in the country. It will consist of a plenary body of five (5) commissioners, including its chair, all of whom are appointed by the head of the executive branch and confirmed by the Senate. Unlike the IFT, the CRT will not enjoy constitutional autonomy.

In addition, the ATDT will be responsible for designing and implementing public policies related to satellite communications, broadcasting, and telecommunications. Its responsibilities include promoting connectivity throughout the country, developing strategies for universal coverage, and coordinating efforts with state and local governments to expand access to these digital services.

Concessions and Authorizations:

The new law generally retains the previous framework for concessions and authorizations for the provision of public telecommunications and broadcasting services; however, it expands the authorization regime to include new registration certificates.

Infrastructure:

The authority’s powers regarding infrastructure deployment are being strengthened; the CRT is required to issue guidelines for the reorganization, removal, or underground installation of telecommunications infrastructure, and it is the authority empowered to resolve disputes between concessionaires in the event of disagreements over infrastructure sharing by establishing the technical, tariff, and operational conditions.

In addition, the CRT may review the terms of infrastructure-sharing agreements and, where appropriate, establish measures to ensure that such sharing takes place under non-discriminatory conditions.

Also, if they impose new obligations on owners of passive infrastructure.

Audience Rights and Advertising:

In addition, the new law expands the range of rights available to audiences, while increasing the regulatory obligations of providers of restricted radio and television broadcasting services.

It also establishes obligations and penalties regarding advertising and content for digital platforms that disseminate propaganda from foreign governments within our territory.

Economic Competition:

With regard to economic competition, the powers previously held by the IFT for the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors are transferred to the CNA, which is the new agency replacing the Federal Economic Competition Commission (COFECE).

The CRT will collaborate with the CNA by providing technical opinions and will retain key powers to identify and regulate dominant economic actors, as well as to approve applicable rates, oversee interconnections, and issue measures to promote competition in specific markets and combat practices that impose exclusivity.

Radio Spectrum:

The new Registration Certificates are incorporated into the Law; these are documents that authorize the use of the radio spectrum in specific cases and do not involve direct commercial exploitation. These certificates will be granted for amateur radio licenses, aeronautical systems, equipment used in special, cultural, sporting, or similar events, or equipment requiring rights to transmit and receive signals associated with foreign satellite systems operating within the national territory. 

That said, the CRT will be responsible for issuing guidelines governing the issuance of these certificates, in order to enable the use of certain radio spectrum bands under this scheme.

With regard to radio spectrum licenses for private use, it is established that such licenses may be granted directly, subject to availability, for a maximum term of 15 years.

With regard to satellite services, several significant changes are being introduced:

• The CRT may establish the criteria for defining the State reserve, whether in cash or in kind.
• Prior authorization from the CRT is required for the relocation, co-location, or deorbiting of satellites, with a decision-making period of 30 business days.
• It is mandatory to have a contingency plan in place and to notify the CRT in the event of satellite failures or loss.
• The fee for social and public-use concessionaires is eliminated.
• Holders of orbital resource concessions must submit a replacement plan before the satellite enters the final third of its service life, or within 10 days of being notified of the satellite’s total loss.

In addition, frequency band allocations for orbital resources intended for experimental purposes, technical or economic feasibility testing, and diplomatic communications are being eliminated. 

Finally, for applications for the allocation of orbital resources, at the request of the interested party, the submission of a space debris mitigation plan is added as a requirement.

Verification and Inspection System: 

With regard to inspections, the CRT is empowered to supervise, inspect, and impose sanctions at any time, not only on holders of authorizations and concessions, but also on registrants, providers of passive infrastructure, directly involved violators, and digital platforms.

Furthermore, when required, security authorities must accompany CRT inspectors to conduct the relevant inspections. In addition, the CRT may request any type of information and documentation—including, but not limited to, technical, operational, infrastructure, telecommunications, and broadcasting-related matters—to supplement its records. 

Penalty system:

As mentioned, the LMTR expanded the list of entities that can be penalized for violating the Act. In addition, the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (PROFECO) and the Ministry of the Interior are authorized to impose penalties for violations of the LMTR in the form of a direct percentage of the violators’ revenue. 

In summary, the CRT will now have the authority to impose sanctions on concessionaires, authorized operators, holders of registration certificates, providers of passive infrastructure, individuals directly involved in violations, as well as digital platforms, regardless of whether they are domestic or foreign. 

In addition, PROFECO may impose fines ranging from 0.01% to 3% of the revenue of any concessionaire, authorized entity, or individual who violates the user rights established in the LMTR. This is a significant change, as PROFECO previously relied on its own law to impose fines. This undoubtedly opens the possibility that PROFECO could fine you under the LMTR, the Federal Consumer Protection Law, and the Quality Infrastructure Law.

For its part, the Ministry of the Interior will be responsible for imposing sanctions for violations related to political, ideological, commercial, or any other type of advertising or propaganda originating from foreign governments.

With regard to the amounts and percentages used to determine fines, in general, the percentages remain the same for each type of violation; however, a new provision has been added to reclassify violations, such that certain behaviors now carry a higher fine percentage and do not qualify for a warning.

In addition, a specific fine is imposed for failing to unlock the communication equipment necessary to receive telecommunications services. 

On the other hand, fines are significantly increased if the offender is unable to provide proof of income.

Finally, grounds for revoking authorizations and certificates are added, and penalties related to economic competition are eliminated.

Transitional.

Finally, the Act entered into force the day after its publication—that is, on July 17, 2025. However, the IFT will continue to operate until the CRT Plenary is formed. Once the CRT Plenary is formed, a 15-business-day suspension period will be implemented for all active proceedings and procedures; this suspension will not apply to the fulfillment of obligations.

Furthermore, all acts issued by the IFT remain valid, but all spectrum usage authorizations granted prior to 2014 must be brought into compliance with the new legal framework within a maximum period of one year; otherwise, they will expire. Furthermore, specific provisions are established for the transition of concessionaires serving social, community, indigenous, and Afro-Mexican purposes, who must comply with the new obligations without prejudice to their previously acquired rights.

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