The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT) announced that the federally mandated registration deadline for cell phones has been extended beyond June 30.
The extension comes after officials acknowledged that the government’s registration target would not be met by the original deadline. Millions of mobile users will temporarily retain service while completing the registration process, which the federal government says is intended to eliminate anonymous phone lines and help investigators combat crimes.
Despite the extension, many users remain reluctant to register their phone numbers because of concerns about data privacy and potential security breaches. A survey conducted by The Competitive Intelligence Unit (CIU) found that 93% of higher-income users are aware of the registration requirement, while awareness among lower-income users is less than half that level.
Authorities have warned that registration will eventually be mandatory, and users who do not comply will face service suspension.
Government’s Anti-Crime Registration Push
“Each telephone number must be registered to a specific person in order to eliminate the anonymity that has allowed criminals to commit crimes such as fraud or extortion,” a CRT spokesperson said in a public statement.
AT&T reported losing approximately 500,000 prepaid customers in Mexico because of the registration requirement. According to the CRT, 63 million telephone lines have been registered so far, representing 43.6% of all mobile lines in the country. Of those, 40.2 million are prepaid lines and 22.8 million are postpaid.
New Registration Schedule Through December 2026
The CRT has established a new registration schedule running from August through December 2026, with deadlines based on the last digit of each telephone number. Officials said postponing the original July 1 service disconnections will give more users, particularly those with limited resources, additional time to comply.
The new registration deadlines are based on the last digit of each phone number:
0: by Aug. 15
1: by Aug. 31
2: by Sept. 15
3: by Sept. 30
4: by Oct. 15
5: by Oct. 31
6: by Nov. 15
7: by Nov. 30
8: by Dec. 15
9: by Dec. 31
The CRT said prepaid lines that have not yet been registered will follow the same schedule.
Officials said the extension is intended to ensure all users have an opportunity to complete the process before service is suspended. Telephone companies will disconnect unregistered lines within 72 hours after the applicable deadline.
During the suspension period, affected users will only be able to call emergency services and receive seismic alerts and civil protection messages.
Completing Registration With Mobile Providers
The CRT emphasized that registration must be completed directly through mobile service providers, not with a government agency. Users will have to associate their telephone number with their name and CURP (Unique Population Registry Code), a process that typically requires presenting a valid Mexican INE identification card.
According to the National Survey on the Availability and Use of Information Technologies in Households (ENDUTIH), the states of Campeche, Tabasco, Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas have the lowest rates of cell phone use, with fewer than 80% of residents using mobile devices. In contrast, Los Cabos has one of the highest rates of mobile phone use in the country.
Authorities maintain that the registration program is designed to strengthen public safety by linking every telephone line to an identifiable individual. They also emphasized that any access to personal information by law enforcement must comply with existing legal procedures.
