Mexico's 3Q Telecom Sector Growth Is Fastest In 5 Years

MEXICO CITY -(Dow Jones)- Mexico's telecommunications industry grew at its fastest pace in five years during the third quarter, the sector regulator said Monday.

The Federal Telecommunications Commission, or Cofetel, said activity measured by its telecommunications production index expanded 26.5% from the like 2004 period.

Incoming long-distance phone traffic from the U.S. contributed the most to growth in the quarter, while mobile telephony also expanded at a healthy rate with the number of wireless subscribers up 27.2% to 44.6 million.

The number of fixed lines at the end of the quarter was up 8.5% from a year earlier at 19.2 million. Cable television subscribers grew 11.2% to 3.2 million, and satellite TV subscribers rose 5.8% to 1.1 million.

Paging, outgoing international long-distance calls, and satellite services declined from the third quarter of 2004.

Telecommunications services have long been growing at a faster pace than the overall economy. The gross domestic product grew 3.3% in the third quarter, and was up 3% in the first nine months of the year.

-By Anthony Harrup, Dow Jones Newswires; (5255) 5080-3450, anthony.harrup@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires "

Posted to the site on 29th November 2005