Mexico begins staggered mobile line suspensions for unregistered users

Mexico is implementing a staggered suspension of mobile lines for users who have not completed mandatory identity registration. The Comisión Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones (CRT) has established a schedule based on the last digit of phone numbers. The first phase begins on August 15, targeting lines ending in 0, with subsequent deadlines for other digits through December 31.

Industry analysts and government data indicate that the mandatory registration process has already contributed to a reduction in the total number of active mobile lines. The Competitive Intelligence Unit (The CIU) reported that the market lost approximately 4.9 million net lines during the first half of 2026, primarily due to the cleaning up of inactive or unlinked prepaid SIM cards. While the number of lines decreased, service revenues rose by 5.3% due to increased data consumption and migration to postpaid plans.

Authorities have clarified that the measure is not a mass cancellation of active services but a regulatory requirement to reduce anonymous phone use. Users whose lines are suspended can reactivate them by completing the registration process. During suspension, access is limited to emergency services and carrier customer support.