Mexican financial regulators could slash fees to access 700MHz spectrum on the country’s proposed shared network by up to 90 per cent, according to daily publication La Cronica Diaria.

The move, which is aimed at attracting more companies to invest in Mexico’s planned network running on the 700MHz band, could see access charges slashed from $0.2 per MHz spectrum per inhabitant to $0.02 per MHz.

Mexico’s transport and communications ministry (SCT) said in March it hoped to hold a $10 billion tender, which would see the creation of a company to build and run the network, with a licence to use 90MHz of the 700MHz, by October this year.

The value of the proposed network was then trimmed back to $7 billion, following competition reforms led by the country’s president Enrique Pena Nieto.

According to timelines set by the ministry, licences could then be awarded by Q1 2016.

Earlier this year, China Mobile expressed an interest in investing in Mexico, while AT&T continues to beef up its presence in the country through acquisitions and other plays, taking advantage of the country’s 2013 reforms designed to limit the influence of market leader America Movil.

SCT said in June six major telecoms suppliers had been carrying out field tests in the 700MHz band, with Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei, Nokia and Ericsson said to be interested in the roll out.