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🇲🇽 Mexico /Health & Science

Birmex operates with an outdated, dismantled network

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Birmex acknowledged that it operates with a “dismantled and obsolete” connectivity network, including home modems and other equipment it says are insecure and unstable.
  • The agency launched a tender for managed communications and connectivity services after more than eight years without such a contract.
  • Birmex warned that network failures could disrupt medicine distribution, affect treatments and create social, political and reputational consequences for the Mexican state.

Birmex, the agency that operates Mexico’s Megapharmacy and distributes medicines, says its communications network is “dismantled and obsolete.” It relies on home modems, Steren routers and five- and eight-port hubs that the agency describes as insecure, unstable and unsuitable for its operations.

The agency has launched tender LA-12-NEF-012NEF001-N-284-2026 to contract institutional communications and connectivity services. Birmex says it has gone eight years without contracting this service, creating a risk that operational failures could affect medicine distribution and medical treatments.

dismantled and obsolete

· BirmexThe agency used these words to describe its current connectivity network.

In its tender documents, the agency says it lacks the infrastructure needed to provide voice, data, video and security services with the required speed, protection, reliability and scalability. Existing systems include broadband links without common control, local and wireless equipment from different manufacturers and capacities, obsolete components, fragmented traditional telephony and only 38 lines for all locations.

insecure, unstable and not suited to the multisite demand Birmex requires to carry out its functions

· BirmexThe tender documents describe the limitations of the agency’s current equipment and network.

Birmex also requested the installation of video-surveillance cameras at its facilities. It says secure connectivity is essential to protect the confidentiality, availability and integrity of information and transactions, but acknowledges that current conditions reduce that reliability.

The tender decision is scheduled for September 11, with the contract expected to begin on October 2. Birmex warns that failures in its network could quickly become medicine shortages and directly affect treatments, with social, political and reputational consequences for the Mexican state.

Operational failures at Birmex can quickly become problems involving medicine shortages and direct effects on medical treatments, with social, political and reputational impacts for the state

· BirmexThe agency warned about the consequences of weaknesses in its communications infrastructure.
About this summary

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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