This is how Mexico connected to the internet

The Internet , born 30 years ago, is an indispensable tool for the entire planet. At this time it not only makes our work easier, it also connects us socially and even encourages us to seek changes in the world. Whether it is to check an email, greet a friend on Facebook or receive news, the so-called “network of networks” is a companion of the society of the 21st century. On the anniversary of the network, it is worth remembering how it was that our country got online for the first time.

The World Wide Web (WWW) has been in Mexico for less than 30 years, and its birth was purely for academic purposes. The first “Mexican” connection occurred in 1989 between the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) and the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Some time later, in 1991, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and ITESM installed “mirror servers” to start generating links between universities throughout the country, thanks to the National Council of Science and Technology (Conacyt) and the Secretary of Public Education (SEP).

That same year, Telmex began to install fiber optic networks in the main cities. In 1992, the MEXNET was created, an association that intended to discuss the policies, statutes and procedures of the network in the country.

The two administrators of the Domain Name System (DNS) at that time were UNAM and ITESM, which barely managed 48 IP addresses between the two. Curiously, 1995 was called the “Year of the Internet” because there were already 111 links in the national territory!

The first commercial lines for connection came from the hand of Infotec, a public institution created in 1974 under the support of Conacyt and Nacional Financiera (Nafin), while RedUNAM was the first commercial provider of connection services, accommodation or rental of server space. and e-mail platform for places outside the university.

In 1996 the Internet Access Providers (ISP’s) were consolidated in the country and in the first months, but only 2% of the servers that were located under the .mx domain had the letters WWW in their web address, therefore , global connection.

At the end of 1996, the opening of telecommunications companies and long-distance telephony concessions caused a boom in Internet connections. Companies like Avantel and Alestra-AT & T then competed with Telmex. By 1997 the internet was already in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Chihuahua, Tijuana, Puebla, Mérida, Nuevo Laredo, Saltillo, Oaxaca and several other states.

Since then, the web in Mexico has expanded exponentially. The main service provider is Telmex, but the triple play packages, which offer internet, cable TV and telephone service, have managed to be positioned by other companies such as Televisa.

^{Sources: Mexican Internet Association (AMIPCI) and UNAM Magazine .}

How do you currently use the internet? How have your digital consumption habits changed over the years?