How to hire internet in Mexico? What technologies can we find? What are the best companies in Mexico to easily hire a television and internet package?
Moving to Mexico doesn't mean you should stop being in touch with your family or leave your Facebook friends behind. Modern communication technology throughout the country ensures easy and generally inexpensive access, but finding the right Internet option in Mexico that meets your needs and fits your budget can take some time.
To give you a clear idea of what some of the options are available, we have looked at the five types of Internet services available in Mexico, some of the fastest Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and we also checked with various expats to see which services. They are using.
Whether you run an online business, make Skype calls with family and friends, or spend time checking social media, you want to make sure you get the fastest internet speed available at the most reasonable price with limited downtime. Almost everything depends on the local options that are offered.
Before taking a look at the specific companies, you should know what types of Internet services are available in Mexico, based on your location. Rural areas have fewer options and large cities many.
DSL Internet
DSL service is provided by your local phone company over phone lines and generally offers slower download and upload speeds than other forms, but at a more affordable price. The use of landlines can also increase the quality and reliability of the connection.
Cable internet
Cable service from local cable television companies generally provides fast, reliable Internet connections and is particularly suitable for users who watch many streaming services such as Netflix. The main downside to cable is that you often compete with your neighbors who have cable, which slows things down when everyone uses the Internet at the same time, especially at night.
Visit the link below to learn more about Netflix packages prices.
Mobile Internet
Mobile Internet services are growing rapidly as more users access the Internet through smartphones and tablets. You can also use your mobile device as an access point for your computer. Mobile is usually fast, but requires a data plan in addition to voice. If you go over your data plan, it can be expensive.
Satellite internet
Satellite is often the only solution for those who live in rural areas. Internet service is generally included with television programming. Although not the best option, it may be faster than DSL or dial-up service. Also, during inclement weather, service may be interrupted.
Fiber optic internet
Fiber optic technology is the fastest technology, providing speeds up to 25 times faster than DSL or cable. Fiber optic is perfect for regular Internet users, but its availability is often limited to larger cities that have fiber optic infrastructure. Although this service is not available everywhere, the Mexican government, in association with private telecommunications companies, has ambitious expansion plans.
Tom Lang, an expat from Lake Chapala who telecommuting for two US companies as a health consultant several days a week, told us that he would love to have a fiber optic option for his job.
"Fiber optics would be ideal, but it is not yet available in our area," Lang said. “The satellite is too expensive, so Telcel was the only option. I tried to get DSL service from Telmex, but they said they weren't accepting new clients because they didn't have enough infrastructure and capacity when I requested. "
However, the future looks promising for wider fiber optic coverage in the country. The Mexican government is tasked under the country's new Telecommunications Law to build a fiber optic backbone network nationwide, called Red Troncal. The government is organizing an international public-private partnership to bring the dream of a fast Internet to most of the country.
For example, wireless broadband developer Cobalt Holdings has plans to build a fiber optic network in the northern part of Quintana Roo state to serve Cancun and the Riviera Maya.
Your Internet service options in Mexico depend entirely on who your local ISPs are. In approximately 80 percent of the country, Telmex is available to provide DSL and fiber optic service (not in all areas). Most cities typically offer a combination of cable, satellite, mobile, and DSL services from local ISPs. Internet services are usually bundled with telephone and television services. Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and other larger cities and resorts offer the fiber optic option.
Once you determine which ISP options are available, you can decide which company makes the most sense for your specific needs, including speed, reliability, quality, and cost.
Here are some larger companies that operate in many regions of Mexico:
Megacable
If you live in Mexico, you are probably familiar with Megacable, a television, telephone and Internet provider that operates in 26 states and more than 350 municipalities, including Guadalajara, Puebla, Toluca, León, Veracruz, Hermosillo, Culiacán, Morelia, Querétaro and Torreón . The company's fiber network, which passes through 8.8 million homes, spans more than 61,000 km (or more than 38,000 miles) with the support of nearly 22,000 employees. As of September 30, 2019, Megacable had grown to approximately 3.2 million pay TV subscribers, 3.1 million broadband subscribers, and 2.1 million telephony subscribers. At the end of the third quarter of 2019, unique subscribers increased to 3.6 million and revenue generating units (RGUs) reached 8.4 million, an increase of 7.1 percent compared to the third quarter of 2018. RGUs per unique subscriber reached 2.3, continuing an upward trend.
In addition to its basic triple play services, Megacable also creates and broadcasts exclusive content related to Mexican culture, tourism, news and entertainment on its own Video Rola channel, available live in certain parts of Mexico and the United States. In August, Megacable aired its first original serial production on the Panico and Cine Mexicano channels, as well as on Megacable's “Xview”, its interactive and on-demand video platform. The 13-episode series is called "13 Minutos Before Sleeping" ("13 Minutes Before Sleeping") and features a series of Mexican horror legends, as well as an original score. The company also serves its commercial clients with a strong portfolio of services that includes the design and development of information technology and bespoke equipment solutions.
If you want, you can learn more about how to contract Megacable.
Telmex
Telmex, based in Mexico City, covers most of the country and offers DSL and fiber optic Internet services (in selected areas). Telmex is among the most popular Internet providers in Mexico.
There is no current speed test data available to compare the top ISPs in Mexico, but we did find the Netflix ISP Speed Index, a measure of Netflix's performance during primetime when internet traffic is heaviest. The August 2018 test provides a comparison of the top ISPs. It ranked Telmex Infinitum fourth out of nine ISPs tested in Mexico with an average speed rating of 3.54.
Telmex packages range from broadband speeds of 10 Mbps per month for $ 389 pesos to 200 Mbps per month for $ 1,500 pesos. These packages also include television service and telephone service.
Cindy Dahl, an expat from Cabo San Lucas, is a current Telmex customer who uses the company for telephone and Internet services. "I pay less than $ 30 a month for his services," Dahl said. "I have been using the Telmex fiber optic option and it is very fast!"
Axtel
Axtel is headquartered near Monterrey and is the second largest fixed telephony service provider in Mexico. The company offers telephone, Internet, television and VPN services.
Axtel's Xtremo Internet service ranked second in Netflix's ISP Speed Index, with an average index of 3.80.
The company offers packages from $ 429 pesos for 35 Mbps, $550 pesos for 100 Mbps and $1,289 pesos for 200 Mbps.
Totalplay
Totalplay is based in Mexico City and provides fiber optic Internet connections to more than 20 major cities in Mexico, including Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, the three largest cities.
It was no surprise that a fiber optic ISP ranked first on Netflix's ISP Speed Index with a 3.89 index.
Totalplay offers packages ranging from 30 Mbps for $ 629 pesos to 500 Mbps for $1,709. The other three main packages offer 100 to 300 Mbps and vary in price from $ 1,000 to $1,509 pesos. All of these packages include television and phone service as well.
They also include an HD set-top box and a WIFI access point that allows customers to easily access popular applications such as Netflix, YouTube, and Crackle.
Izzi
Izzi, based in Mexico City, is a telecommunications company owned by Grupo Televisa with coverage in more than 50 cities in Mexico, including many areas of Baja California.
Izzi ranked third in the Netflix speed test with a 3.56 rating. Packages start at $ 520 pesos for 10 Mbps and $ 650 pesos for 20 Mbps. Izzi's best offer is $850 pesos for 50 Mbps. All Internet packages also come with television and telephone service.
Other top-notch ISPs you may want to consider, if available in your area, are Cablemás, Megacable, or Telecable.
Internet options differ from region to region in Mexico, as they do in other countries, but with new developments in the now deregulated telecommunications industry, Mexico could expect better access to more reliable networks. Google, for example, has now built 60 WIFI access points in 45 cities across the country, according to PC Magazine. Google is expected to have more than 100 by the end of this year.
