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Mexico Extinguishes IFT as New Telecom Regulator CRT Takes Charge

The shift consolidates oversight under executive-linked bodies, prompting questions over regulatory independence.

Overview

  • The IFT ceased to exist at 12:00 a.m. on Oct. 17 and deactivated its institutional social media after a farewell message to users.
  • The Senate ratified five CRT commissioners by a 74–33 vote, and Claudia Sheinbaum named Norma Solano Rodríguez as presiding commissioner.
  • The CRT, a deconcentrated body within the ATDT, now decides on spectrum concessions and regulates internet, radio, television and satellite services, with competition issues moving to the new CNA.
  • Legal timelines began running: 180 days for the first radiofrequency tender, a temporary 15‑business‑day suspension of most filings, and 120 business days to issue mobile line identification rules.
  • The accelerated handover left severance disputes from former IFT staff unresolved, while experts and international organizations, including the UN, warned about risks to autonomy and freedom of expression.