Senate Ratifies New Telecommunications Regulatory Commission

On Oct. 14, the Senate ratified, with 74 votes in favor and 33 against, the appointments made by President Claudia Sheinbaum to form the Plenary of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT). The new body will be responsible for overseeing Mexico’s telecommunications and broadcasting sectors following the extinction of the Federal Institute of Telecommunications (IFT).

The new CRT Plenary will be made up of five commissioners:

• Ledénika Méndez, for a three-year term

• María Olivares, for four years

• Adán Salazar, for five years

• Tania Villa, for six years

• Norma Solano, for seven years

According to the ratification report, the CRT will oversee the regulation, promotion, and supervision of radio spectrum use, orbital resources, satellite communications, and space sustainability. The five-member Plenary, including a president to be appointed by the Executive within 10 days, will serve as the Commission’s highest decision-making authority.

Profiles of the New Commissioners

Méndez has over two decades of federal public service experience and specializes in digital inclusion, telecommunications, and space security. She is a UNAM Political Science graduate, with a Master’s from the INAP and a Doctorate in Law from Inadej.

Olivares brings over 20 years of experience in public service, focusing on human rights, media ethics, and audience protection. She previously served as Audience Ombudsperson at UAQ’s radio and TV system and coordinated 81 public media outlets nationwide as manager of the Network of Educational and Cultural Radio Broadcasters of Mexico.

Salazar is an expert in satellite imaging, computer vision, and calibration technologies. His work bridges advanced scientific research with technological innovation for social benefit.

Villa has over 20 years of experience in telecommunications regulation and radio spectrum planning. She has contributed to developing quality standards for mobile services applied nationally and internationally.

Solano, lawyer and public administrator, has led multiple digital transformation and connectivity initiatives within Mexico City’s government. She served as National Coordinator of Digital Transformation at the ATDT and has been key in developing regulatory frameworks for public digital services.

Legislative Reactions

Senator José Antonio Cruz, Chair of the Radio, Television, and Cinematography Commission, emphasizes the commissioners’ technical credentials and commitment to institutional integrity. Lawmakers from MORENA and PVEM highlighted that the appointments strengthen regulatory legitimacy and promote inclusion and innovation.

However, opposition members raise concerns over potential risks to independence and freedom of expression. PRI Senator Karla Toledo warns that centralizing regulatory power could lead to censorship or political interference. From Movimiento Ciudadano, Alejandra Barrales argues that four appointees had direct ties to the Digital Transformation Agency, undermining the Commission’s autonomy.

Background: A New Telecommunications Framework

The Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law, published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) on July 16, 2025, repealed the 2014 Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law (LFTR) and reorganized Mexico’s regulatory structure, MBN reports.

Under this framework, the Federal Institute of Telecommunications (IFT), an autonomous entity established in 2014, will be dissolved. Its responsibilities, personnel, and assets are now divided between:

1. The Agency for Digital Transformation and Telecommunications (ATDT), a federal executive body; and

2. The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT), a technically autonomous authority under the ATDT

The CRT will regulate spectrum allocation, telecommunications and broadcasting infrastructure, satellite services, and audience rights. It will also enforce rules requiring dominant telecom players to grant competitors fair access to networks and roaming services, ensuring market competition. The reform also seeks to expand digital connectivity, providing free internet in underserved areas to connect over 15 million Mexicans lacking reliable access.

IFT’s Final Statement

As of Oct. 17, 2025, the IFT officially ceased operations. In its farewell statement, the Institute thanked the public for their trust and highlighted over a decade of efforts to promote competition, connectivity, and user rights:

“During more than a decade, the Institute worked with firmness, independence, and commitment to promote the efficient development of telecommunications and broadcasting, advancing competition, connectivity, and the protection of users’ rights for the benefit of the country. We bid farewell with pride in what we have built and with deep gratitude to society for the trust placed in this regulatory body. We wish great success to the authorities who will assume responsibility for regulating the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors and ensuring economic competition in Mexico.”