On November 28, 2024, Mexico’s Congress General issued a Decree that transfers key responsibilities from the Institute Federal de Telecommunications (IFETEL) to a newly established agency, the Agency de Transformación Digital y Telecommunications. This significant shift aims to centralize and enhance the federal government’s capacity to manage telecommunications and digital transformation.
The new agency will spearhead several critical areas, including:
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Digital Inclusion and Government Policies: Developing and leading initiatives for digital inclusion, digital government, and advanced information and communication technologies for the Administración Pública Federal.
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Telecommunications and Broadcasting: Crafting and executing federal policies for telecommunications and broadcasting.
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Satellite Capacity Management: Overseeing satellite resources, including defining capacity for government needs, national security, and social services, while ensuring efficient usage.
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Technological Sovereignty: Formulating national policies on technological sovereignty and advancing the digitalization of government procedures and services.
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Regulatory Frameworks: Issuing guidelines, rules, and procedures to meet its operational responsibilities.
The resources from the Coordinación de Strategies Digital National will be reallocated to this new agency by December 31, 2024, enabling its full operation by January 1, 2025.
In response, IFETEL issued a press release on December 3, expressing concerns about the reform’s potential impact. It highlighted three key areas for careful consideration in forthcoming secondary legislation:
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Technical Independence: Ensuring impartiality and independence in regulatory decisions is vital to uphold fair competition in telecommunications, especially given the involvement of public-sector concessionaires.
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Integrated Regulation: Segmenting regulatory powers risks inefficiencies and inconsistencies in economic competition and sector policies.
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Human Capital Preservation: Maintaining the specialized expertise developed over years at IFETEL is essential. The agency emphasized the need to respect labor rights and retain this highly skilled workforce for effective governance.
As Mexico navigates this transition, the new agency will play a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s digital future, balancing innovation with fair regulation. The importance of addressing these concerns in the legislative process cannot be overstated to ensure a seamless and effective transformation.
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