Mexico faces millions‑wide disruption as 2G and 3G networks risk premature shutdown

Mexico’s telecom operators are advancing 5G rollout, yet a large portion of the population still relies on legacy 2G and 3G networks. Industry analysts warn that an immediate shutdown of these older networks would leave millions without mobile connectivity because many users lack 4G‑ or 5G‑compatible smartphones. The GSMA reports that, by the end of 2024, roughly 30 % of Mexicans were still using 3G and 2 % were on 2G. Operators such as Telcel maintain limited 2G coverage for about 29 % of the population, while 3G reaches 92.6 % of users. The lack of a clear national migration strategy and the high cost of compatible devices—up to 72 % of a household’s monthly income in some regions—compound the challenge. The transition to 5G, projected to serve 54 % of connections by 2030, depends not only on infrastructure investment but also on closing the device‑access gap.