First test results for new Mexican broadband network due January

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico expects to receive first reports next month from field tests that will lay the groundwork for a new national mobile broadband network, the Communications and Transport Ministry said on Tuesday. Mexico is looking for a group of private companies to help it launch a national mobile broadband network on a 700 megahertz (MHz) wireless spectrum to help spur competition in a sector long dominated by billionaire Carlos Slim. The network is expected to require investment of about $10 billion over 10 years. Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Huawei Technologies Co [HWT.UL], NEC Corp, Nokia Networks and ZTE Corp were invited to participate in the field tests. The government will receive reports in January from tests carried out in Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Acapulco, the ministry said in a statement. The tests aim to collect real-time information about a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network on the 700 MHz frequency band. (Reporting by Tomas Sarmiento; Writing by Joanna Zuckerman Bernstein; Editing by Peter Galloway)