Mexico leading the way in fiber-optic connections

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Mexico has a larger percentage of fiber-optic connections than the UK, Germany, France, the United States, and Holland .

As of 2017 , 18.3% of all internet access in Mexico was through optical fiber networks , whereas in the United States , it was only 12.6% ; 2.3% in Germany; 12.5% in France, and 1.2% in the United Kingdom , according to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) .

Mexico even outshined Latin American countries such as Chile, which showed 13% of fiber connections in total broadband, while Colombia had 11.1%. However, Mexico still stands below the average of 23.3% .

The OECD’s 2019 telecoms and broadcasting study showed that, in spite of fiber-optic developments in recent years, Mexico is still lagging behind the OECD average, which is why “more efforts are needed to improve fiber connections in total broadband.”

Last week, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador decided to suspend the tender procedure for the Backbone Network , which consists of more than 15,534 miles of optic fiber. A new public bid will be held within a month.

The new tendering procedure will include monetary compensations to offer free internet access on roads, schools, hospitals, and other public places .

The OECD’s analysis showed that the geographic locations in which a fiber optic connection has been installed are still limited in Mexico.

“Some cable networks have not been modernized to compete for internet access. Said networks are a result of the consolidation of restricted TV networks,” stated the OECD.

As soon as the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) installs its new dark fiber network, providers will have access to “extremely valuable” network facilities, claimed the OECD.