Temporary spectrum for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. On Holy Thursday, the country’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT) reiterated its invitation for telecom operators to gain temporary access to radio spectrum. The objective is clear: enable operators to cope with the increase in mobile data demand expected in stadiums, access points and high-density public areas during matches played in the country’s host cities.
More specifically, the measure targets the three main host cities: Mexico City (Azteca Stadium), Guadalajara (Akron Stadium) and Monterrey (BBVA Stadium). Those venues will host a total of 13 matches, including both group-stage and knockout-stage games. The opening match will take place on June 11 in Mexico City, which will be the only venue hosting five matches, while Guadalajara and Monterrey will each host four.
Although the regulator had already received inquiries from operators interested in accessing additional spectrum — something Mexico still has available, largely because telecom companies have shown limited appetite for acquiring more spectrum bands in recent years — the CRT decided to reinforce the proposal publicly. The regulator argued that the initiative is possible thanks to the country’s new Telecommunications Law, which “allows temporary spectrum assignments to address extraordinary mobile data demand.” As with every World Cup, projected mobile traffic growth is expected to significantly exceed the levels recorded during the previous tournament.
The CRT also stated that it is already working with operators that expressed interest in order to “define technical aspects, including the additional infrastructure that will need to be deployed to expand and improve connectivity for users.”
Preparations in advance
The regulator had previously announced that it was already coordinating with FIFA, mobile operators and both public and private sector organizations to guarantee connectivity during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The effort aims not only to maintain service quality for local residents, but also to support the more than 5.5 million tourists expected to arrive in Mexico from June onward to attend matches hosted in the country.
Mexico currently has around 130 million active mobile lines, and the World Cup is expected to temporarily add another five percent of highly connected users who will rely heavily on mobile networks to communicate with family, stay connected to work and consume digital services ranging from streaming to social media. That explains why the CRT’s offer of temporary additional spectrum capacity is considered so relevant.
Guaranteeing communications is also a critical part of tournament organization itself. According to the CRT, enhanced connectivity “will allow efficient network operation coordination in strategic and priority areas such as stadiums, hotels, airports, training centers and Fan Fest zones.”
That coordination effort will also involve local and federal security agencies, as well as Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE). All of these actors will require additional connectivity capacity, making spectrum availability essential not only for logistics and support of sports delegations and diplomatic activities, but above all for security operations.
Explosive growth in data consumption
During the last two World Cups, mobile traffic growth has been exponential. Qatar 2022 ultimately became what many described as the “World Cup of data.” Throughout the tournament, mobile networks handled an average of approximately 2,866 TB of mobile traffic per day, equivalent to around 20 TB per match across stadiums hosting games and nearly 50 TB during the opening match alone, according to figures released by Qatar’s regulator.
Across the 48 matches played during Qatar 2022, total mobile data consumption reached roughly 533 TB, while mobile voice traffic exceeded 7.5 million calls. Approximately 40 percent of all traffic ran over 5G networks, reinforcing the perception that Qatar 2022 became the first World Cup where 5G truly emerged as a large-scale enabling technology after major pre-pandemic deployments in leading global markets.
Mobile data consumption increased by 73 percent compared to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where most traffic still relied primarily on 4G networks. The evolution from one global sporting event to the next proved once again that whenever users are given more data capacity, they consume it rapidly and massively.
The CRT’s invitation to mobile operators is relevant not only because it encourages temporary infrastructure expansion to support a level of connectivity demand that, even without further growth, will still exceed normal operational conditions. It is also interesting because it reflects a more flexible regulatory approach toward a challenge that could ultimately enable new business opportunities — precisely the kind of adaptive posture regulators are increasingly being asked to adopt.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, as in previous editions, will be a stage for thrilling matches. It will also become a showcase for next-generation technology deployments. And, as Mexico is already demonstrating, perhaps even for a new regulatory mindset.
