Cell phone companies simply have not had enough capacity on their computer systems, antennas and radio bases to handle all the new traffic and the quality of service has fallen. There is significant pressure from the government to improve service rapidly or the regulatory authority will not approve new telephone numbers. The biggest cellular operator, Telcel, a unit of dominant Mexican phone company Telmex, had 3.2 million customers and the second biggest provider Iusacell had one million subscribers as of mid-1999. Bell Atlantic is the controlling partner of the Mexican cellular company Incacel. One innovation introduced into Mexico s cellular system is Pre-Pay.
Customers pay in advance for a specific amount of service.
While this was introduced after the peso crisis due to increasing problems collecting fees, pre-pay has been exceptionally popular with Mexican consumers . This Chapter principally deals with non-discrimination in the provision of telecommunications services. This would effectively end the international settlement fees now being received by Mexico. Mexico has committed to cross-border resale once it adopts implementing regulations. The GBT is now over one year old and Mexico has yet to issue its implementing regulations.