AT&T this week detailed plans to invest US$3 billion in mobile broadband in Mexico over the next three and a half years.
The U.S. telco issued a statement to that effect following a meeting between its CEO, Randall Stephenson, and Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto.
It will spend the money to extend fast mobile Internet coverage to 100 million people by the end of 2018.
"We plan to deliver high-quality, high-speed mobile Internet service to Mexico, creating the first-ever North American mobile service area covering 400 million people and businesses in Mexico and the U.S.," said Stephenson. "This seamless network will link together our two countries’ economies, people and cultures like never before."
Stephenson added that industry reforms in Mexico enabled AT&T to invest in the country. "As we are now seeing in Mexico, business investment increases with thoughtful, responsible regulation," he said.
AT&T entered the Mexican mobile market with the $2.5 billion purchase of Iusacell earlier this year. It added to its assets when it closed the acquisition of smaller player Nextel in April.
Phase one of the network build will be completed over the next six months and will cover 40 million people, or around one third of the population, AT&T said. By the end of next year this will increase to 75 million people, reaching the 100 million mark by the end of 2018.
The telco also revealed that it will introduce new mobile plans for its customers in Mexico next month that will be based on the concept of the single North American service area.
Mexican customers will be able to use their plan, including voice, data and messaging, while in the U.S., as well as being able to use bundled minutes to call people on the AT&T network in the U.S.
"It’s one phone, one plan, covering two countries," the telco said.
