- Multiple private networks are happening in Mexico, SNS said
- Mining dominates in Chile and Peru
- Spectrum is opening up private networks in Argentina
After looking into enterprise-focused deployments in Venezuela and Brazil, we decided to expand our review of private network deployments in Latin America.
As it turns out, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Argentina are the largest national markets after Brazil, according to Asad Khan, 5G research director at SNS Telecom & IT.
Mexico private networks
“Examples of private network users in Mexico include Newmont, Industrial Minera México/Southern Copper (Grupo México), Industrias Peñoles, Pemex (Petróleos Mexicanos), Woodside Energy, APM Terminals (Maersk), TV Azteca, Tecnológico de Monterrey, and Mexican National Guard (Formerly Federal Police),” the analyst said in an email to Fierce.
Mission-critical first responder networks are also arriving in Mexico, SNS noted. Khan said that the Mexico City Police has recently procured a standalone private 5G solution from HTC’s G REIGNS business unit to provide low-latency connectivity for streaming visual content to wireless VR headsets as part of V-Armed’s immersive training system that enables officers to train in a realistic environment without mobility limitations.
The analyst noted there's no formal local spectrum licensing framework in Mexico yet, although the national regulator CRT (Formerly IFT) has granted special authorizations for 700 MHz, 2.3 GHz, and 3.5 GHz spectrum to private network users on a case-by-case basis.
"A local area licensing framework for the 2.3 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands is set to be introduced in 2026,” Khan said.
Other Latin American markets
“The Chilean market is largely dominated by the mining vertical,” Khan stated. Some of the most notable private network users include Antofagasta Minerals, BHP, Codelco (National Copper Corporation of Chile), CMP (Compañía Minera del Pacífico), Gold Fields, Lundin Mining, and Teck Resources. Enel and STI (San Antonio Terminal Internacional) are major users from the utility and port sectors respectively.
It is a similar landscape in Peru, where Antamina, Hudbay Minerals, MMG, and Southern Copper (Grupo México) have deployed private networks at their mining facilities.
“AngloGold Ashanti, Ecopetrol, Sociedad Portuaria Puerto Bahía, and the National Police of Colombia are some examples of private network users from Colombia,” Khan noted
“Argentina has recently opened 2.3-2.4 GHz spectrum for SPIBA (Private Wireless Broadband System) licenses,” the analyst said. Newmont plans to deploy a private LTE/5G-ready network at its Cerro Negro mining complex in 2026. ALVIS' sub-500 MHz LTE network is an example of a wide area private network, he added.
Market growth and projections
SNS Telecom & IT projects that private LTE/5G network investments in the Latin America region will grow at a growth rate of approximately 24% over the next three-year period to reach close to $800 million in annual spending by the end of 2028. The growth rate is nearly double for 5G deployments, but LTE still dominates the Latin American market as of Q4 2025.