How mobile coverage varies across Mexico

With Altán as the main player in 4G coverage, the mobile coverage map in Mexico shows a fragmented landscape.

In Mexico City, the main operators offer almost total guaranteed coverage on 4G and 3G networks, but outside the capital the situation varies depending on the operator. According to figures from the regulator CRT, there are 127.000 localities without coverage, where 8.3 million people live.

The guaranteed coverage corresponds to areas where the quality indices defined by the regulator are met, which implies a good level of service, while the total population coverage is usually higher.

At the national level, Altán has the highest guaranteed 4G coverage, with 88.1% as of December 2025, according to the regulator. With backing from the Mexican state, the company has deployed infrastructure in areas where other operators do not reach.

AT&T and Movistar cover around 69% of the territory with 4G, while Telcel reaches 86.7%.

Altán's network exceeds 70% guaranteed coverage in each federal entity. In the case of AT&T, this threshold is reached in half of the entities, while Telcel falls below that level only in Baja California Sur, Oaxaca, and Chiapas.

Movistar, through agreements to use AT&T and Altán networks, achieves 4G coverage of over 70% in most federal entities. The company was recently acquired by a consortium led by Oxio and Newfoundland Capital Management, based in Brazil, for US$450 million (mn).

Telcel accounted for 58.9% of active lines as of June, followed by AT&T with 16.2% and Telefónica with 14.7%. The mobile virtual operator Bait, owned by Walmart, recorded 5.9%, among others.

5G

Telcel is the only operator that reports guaranteed 5G coverage, with 34.5% of the population, a figure that rises to 44.1% if total coverage is considered. AT&T, meanwhile, covers 45.6% of the population with 5G.

AT&T offers 5G services in the 2.5GHz band, while Telcel has deployed the technology in 3.5GHz. Altán has expressed interest in acquiring spectrum to develop its own 5G network.

The deployment of 5G shows greater guaranteed coverage in border states such as Baja California, Tamaulipas and Chihuahua, as well as in Quintana Roo, where it exceeds 70%. In contrast, Mexico City shows levels close to 40%, depending on the operator.

(The original version of this content was written in Spanish)