Mexico says received 2 bids for long-delayed wholesale mobile network

Two consortiums presented bids to build and run Mexico's 700MHz wholesale mobile network, the communications and transport ministry said on Thursday, as the long-delayed tender for the ambitious but risky project nears completion.

The network, which must cover at least 85 percent of the population, was part of a sweeping telecoms reform aimed at curbing the dominance of Carlos Slim's America Movil.

A consortium called Altan, which includes Mexican companies Megacable and Axtel, presented one of the bids. The second group was made up of Rivada Networks and Spectrum Frontier, the ministry said.