Technology

Alexa+ arrives in Mexico with conversational AI and at no extra cost

Amazon launches its Alexa+ assistant in Spanish for Mexico, with advanced AI functions and free access for Prime members.

| 3 mins reading |2,590 vistas |

Mexico is the first country to receive Alexa+ outside of English

Amazon has just made a move in the AI assistant race. And he did it betting on Mexico. The country becomes the first international market – outside the United States – where Alexa+ will be available in a language other than English.

The most striking thing: there will be no additional cost for Amazon Prime members. For the rest, there will be a monthly subscription.

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It’s not just another chatbot, they say

Carlos Pérez, general director of Alexa for the Americas, was clear during the presentation:

“What we are launching is not a chatbot, it is not a language model… For us it goes much further: it is a personal assistant with ambient intelligence that, obviously, works with AI.”

The key difference, according to Pérez, is in the ability to take actions in the real world. While many chatbots limit themselves to providing information, Alexa+ aims to do things for you.

How does that work? I give you concrete examples that showed:

  • In the living room: “Alexa, make a playlist with three artists that I’m going to tell you”
  • In the office: Just say “it’s hot” to turn on the compatible fan
  • In the kitchen: Mention the ingredients in the refrigerator to suggest recipes

Five keys to the new assistant

Pérez detailed the differentiators compared to the original version:

  1. More conversational: You will interact as if you were talking to a friend, with informal language.
  2. More capable and intelligent: Connected to real-time information and technical responses when needed.
  3. Deeply personal: You will remember specific preferences of each family member.
  4. Designed to perform: From planning outings to reserving tables at restaurants.
  5. Authentically local: Understand Mexican expressions and cultural context.

“We made a great effort with scientists, engineers, product managers… to ensure that Alexa+, in addition to speaking Spanish, understood Mexicans,” Pérez stressed.

How to access now

The deployment will be progressive. Starting on January 22, an early access program will begin: 100 thousand Prime customers will be invited each week to try it out.

Another immediate route: buy a new compatible Echo device. The base already exists – millions of Mexicans have Echos that will work with the update.

For those who are not Prime: there will be a separate subscription for 399 pesos per month.

Amazon is already working on bringing Alexa+ to other international markets. But today, our focus is on how Mexico responds to this assistant who promises to understand not only our words, but our context.

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Faced with this scenario, low orbit (LEO) satellite internet is emerging as a strategic alternative. “Deploying physical infrastructure in Mexico is expensive due to geography. In many cases, satellite internet represents the most viable option to connect areas where fiber will not reach in the short term,” explains Ernesto Piedras, director of The CIU. Companies like Starlink, with more than 10,300 active satellites, already operate in the country. Since May 2021, it obtained a concession and closed 2024 with 160,631 subscriptions, making Mexico its second Latin American market, only behind Brazil. Starlink has signed contracts with CFE Telecomunicaciones for up to 1,556 million pesos to connect remote communities.

However, cost remains a barrier. While a fiber optic plan costs an average of 544 pesos per month, satellite internet starts at 899 pesos, plus equipment and installation. “Commercially it is still not as viable because it is still more expensive and requires purchasing an antenna whose price remains high,” says Fernando Esquivel, from The CIU. The service makes economic sense when it is shared between communities or companies, and with the support of public policies.

Experts agree that this technology will not replace fiber optics, but will complement it. “Terrestrial services are faster and have lower latency. Satellite communication reaches areas that fixed internet would not reach,” says Hugo Simg, from MediaTek. Deployment also requires regulation and coordination between governments and companies. The race to connect Mexico is no longer only being fought underground, but from space, where a new generation of satellites promises to reduce the digital divide that keeps millions out of the digital world.

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Marcos Ramírez, general director of Grupo Financiero Banorte, pointed out that the institution has made progress to reinforce the identification and security of its users. “We are in time and form with everything established by law and a little ahead, with the prudential limits of the law,” he indicated.

These measures will strengthen control over customer identification. Since 2018, by regulation, fingerprint biometrics are already required to open accounts.

Implementation details

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