AT&T wins court ruling for 3.5 GHz mobile spectrum in Mexico

AT&T won a court dispute in Mexico allowing it to use the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) band for mobile services across the country. According to El Economista, the Second Collegiate Court specialized in Economic Competition, Broadcasting and Telecommunications ordered the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT) to modify nine of the carrier's concession titles. The modification adds mobile wireless access to the previously authorized fixed wireless access across 3550 to 3600 MHz.

To secure the mobile rights across Mexico's nine cellular regions, AT&T must pay about 7.83 million Mexican pesos in fees set by the CRT. Approximately 6.27 million Mexican pesos of that total correspond to Region 9, which covers Mexico City, the State of Mexico, Hidalgo, and Morelos. These fees were calculated using the National Consumer Price Index of July 2026 and must be updated before payment. AT&T has 30 business days from legal notification to prove payment, or the ruling becomes void.

The ruling ends seven years of legal action that began when the now-defunct Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) extended the concessions in September 2019 but restricted them exclusively to fixed wireless access. AT&T filed an amparo lawsuit on November 6, 2019. The spectrum involved became a continuous 50 MHz block under TDD duplexing following a frequency swap with Telefonica Mexico approved in September 2019, which took effect on January 1, 2020.

The resolution opens the door for AT&T to strengthen its 5G network rollout across the country, though it does not mandate a specific mobile technology. AT&T remains subject to technical conditions regarding power, emissions, synchronization, and coordination with operators between 3.3 and 3.6 GHz, alongside safeguards to protect satellite services operating between 3.4 and 3.6 GHz from harmful interference.