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Satellite internet as a solution to the digital divide in Mexico

Mountains, jungles and deserts make Mexico one of the countries with the most complex orography in Latin America. Bringing fiber optics to isolated communities implies an investment that is difficult to recover with few users. As a result, one in five households still lack internet access or receive poor service.

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.

The main banking institutions in the country claim to be prepared for the new regulations on facial biometric controls when opening accounts, which will come into force next October.

What did the banks declare?

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

On July 1, the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) incorporated facial biometrics into the regulation for multiple banking in customer identification and authentication. Institutions that opt ​​for this mechanism must comply with technical, operational and security requirements.

An artificial intelligence model developed by Raúl Castro Ortega, a researcher at the Polytechnic University of Tulancingo, manages to identify breast cancer with an accuracy of 90%. The results were presented during the SPIE Photonics Europe 2026 International Congress, in Strasbourg, France.

How the system works

The system uses convolutional neural networks with attention mechanisms to analyze breast thermographs. Unlike traditional methods, the model autonomously learns the patterns of healthy and diseased tissue, without a specialist previously defining the characteristics of the images. This reduces processing time and improves consistency of results.

The study, titled “Breast thermography analysis using convolutional neural networks with attention mechanisms,” uses an algorithm based on the heat diffusion equation. This approach focuses analysis on thermogram regions of interest and classifies tissues with high levels of sensitivity and specificity.

Impact on early detection

The accuracy achieved represents a significant advance for the early detection of breast cancer, which can improve survival rates and facilitate timely treatment. The researcher highlighted that the system does not replace the specialist, but rather works as a support tool for faster and more consistent diagnoses.