Mexico's mandatory cell phone registration trims AT&T prepaid users

Mexico's national program to link every mobile line to an identified holder entered a new phase in August 2026 in the state of Yucatán. Users whose numbers end in 0 must register by 15 August, those ending in 1 by 31 August, with later deadlines extending to December. Registrations are done through carriers and must include the subscriber’s name and CURP; failure to comply restricts service to emergency calls only.

The rollout is already affecting telecom operators. AT&T México reported that its prepaid subscriber base fell by one million in the second quarter of 2026, leaving 15.8 million prepaid customers at the end of June. The company credited the decline to the mandatory registration, noting that only about 43 % of lines were linked when the deadline passed. At the same time, post‑paid accounts grew 20.7 % with 369 000 new users. AT&T’s general director, Mónica Aspe, said, “De cara a la segunda mitad del año, seguiremos enfocados en completar exitosamente el proceso de vinculación de líneas móviles.”