Most streaming platforms no longer offer one catalogue for the whole world. They license films, series and sport country by country, and they decide which version to show by looking at the visitor's IP address. For Mexican viewers abroad, that is the reason a favourite show can be missing from the menu.

ViX, the Spanish-language service from TelevisaUnivision, is a good example. It offers a free tier with adverts and a paid one, and what is available depends on the country you connect from. Mexican broadcasters such as Las Estrellas and Azteca Uno publish news and programmes online, with some live broadcasts and sport limited by rights. The global platforms, from Netflix to Prime Video, carry their own Mexican catalogues with local productions and Latin American Spanish dubbing.

Then there are everyday local services: shops, ticketing for concerts and matches, delivery apps and some banking features that are designed around customers in Mexico. Logging in from abroad can bring extra checks or a different version of the site.

A VPN addresses the location part of this. With a Mexican server selected, services see a connection from Mexico. Accounts, subscriptions and payment rules remain exactly as each service sets them.

Inside Mexico the story is about public networks. Free Wi-Fi is common in plazas, airports, malls and cafes, and much of it is open to anyone in range. Encryption keeps your logins and messages private on networks you share with strangers.