Mexico considers delaying the transition to digital TV

The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation has ruled that all actions that had been ordered by President Felipe Calderón to advance towards digital television in Mexico be suspended. Only 13.2 percent of Mexican households would currently have access to digital television with coverage of less than 5 percent in some states.

La derogación del decreto presidencial que establece acciones para agilizar la transición a la televisión digital, se plantea como una opción para evitar la espera que significa la controversia constitucional que permanece en la Corte, ha asegurado el consejero jurídico de la presidencia de la República, Miguel Alessio.

En el marco del foro “Televisión Digital Terrestre: Retos y oportunidades”, enfatizó que “mi consejo sería vamos a derogar y quitarnos del problema de la controversia constitucional porque de todas formas es suficiente con la orden verbal del presidente de la República a Cofetel”.

On September 2, 2010, the Executive published in the Official Gazette the decree that establishes the actions to carry out the “analogue blackout”, which is the cause of a constitutional controversy promoted by the chambers of Deputies and Senators before the Court when considering that the President of the Republic invaded the powers of COFETEL.

Thus, the highest court has yet to resolve the appeals against the suspension of the Executive decree and subsequently rule on the merits of the matter and determine whether there is indeed an invasion of the powers of the regulatory body in matters of digital television.

“When the president made the announcement in his report, there was no opposition regarding the instructions to move from such date and with such characteristics and only when the decision is made that this presidential resolution be published in a decree in the DOF for its permanence, constitutional controversies arise that have stopped this important public policy,” he explained.

In Alessio's opinion, the constitutional controversy that argues for an invasion of powers by the Executive lacks support, given that COFETEL was present at all the meetings prior to the issuance of the decree.

For his part, the Secretary of Communications and Transportation, Dionisio Pérez Jácome, has recognized that the transition to digital television services in Mexico has been delayed because the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation has not defined the constitutional controversy requested by senators and deputies.

Only 13.2 percent of Mexican households would currently have access to digital television with coverage of less than 5 percent in states such as Chiapas, Oaxaca and Guerrero.