ICT & Media

The telecoms industry, which includes fixed and mobile communications as well as pay TV, saw its revenues expand from $26.6bn in 2009 to $34.7bn at the end of 2013. After years of underinvestment and a market structure that has stifled service penetration, a reform to reduce the influence of dominant players in the telecoms market is set to increase competition, facilitate wider access and put downward pressure on prices. The IT sector now accounts for 6-7% of GDP and is expected to grow rapidly as constitutional reforms reshape the industry. Exponential growth has attracted international players and allowed for the emergence of an established domestic IT industry. However, asymmetric market conditions have made Mexico one of the least-connected countries in the region. There are approximately 40m internet users in Mexico, but only 17% of its 117m people currently have internet access at home. For telecoms firms in particular, the untapped market for additional services is increasingly attractive. This chapter features interviews with Gabriel Oswaldo Contreras Saldívar, President Commissioner, Federal Institute of Telecommunications; and Ankur Prakash, Executive Vice-President, TCS Latam.