On July 16, 2025, the new Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law was published in the Official Gazette, repealing the previous Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law. The new Law aims to govern telecommunications, broadcasting, and satellite matters.
One of the first changes is the elimination of the Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFT, Federal Telecommunications Institute) and its replacement by the Agencia de Transformación Digital y Telecomunicaciones (ATDT, Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency). Within ATDT, the Comisión Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones (CRT, Telecommunications Regulatory Commission) is created as a decentralized administrative body aimed at ensuring the efficient development of telecommunications and broadcasting. The CRT will have five commissioners appointed by the Federal Executive and ratified by the Senate.
Regulatory and sanctioning powers previously held by IFT will be divided among ATDT, CRT, and the new Comisión Nacional Antimonopolios (CNA), the latter under the Ministry of Economy, replacing the former competition commission. Sanctioning concessionaires is one of the new powers of the CNA.
Another relevant change is the recognition of telecommunications and broadcasting as public services of general interest and as pillars for guaranteeing fundamental rights: education, health, information, and freedom of expression. This is in the context of providing internet and telecommunications services to connect approximately 16 million Mexicans through a state-owned company.
The new Law reinstates audience rights and provides for codes of ethics, ombudspersons, and effective complaint mechanisms. Stricter sanctions are established for cases in which foreign propaganda is disseminated for ideological or political purposes —beyond cultural, tourism, or sports cases— with fines ranging from 2% to 5% of annual income. Finally, the controversial Article 109 is eliminated, which had generated concern for allowing the blocking of digital platforms and the consequent worries about censorship and limitations on digital freedom.
At Wolff, Arias & Charua we will be monitoring further developments and remain at your disposal to advise on the specific impact of this reform on your operations.