Mexico's mandatory mobile‑line registration deadline threatens millions of users

Mexico’s telecommunications regulator (CRT) set a deadline of 30 June 2026 for all mobile lines to be registered to an official ID and CURP. Lines that remain unregistered after 1 July will be automatically suspended, limiting calls, SMS, data and access to services that rely on phone verification, though emergency numbers will still work.

As of the third quarter of 2025, only about 52 million of the 144.6 million active lines have been registered, leaving roughly 93 million lines unlinked. The shortfall reflects widespread user distrust: “Más del 50 % de las personas no se quieren registrar porque hay desconfianza en cómo se van a manejar sus datos personales,” said Fernando Esquivel of The CIU. The registration hurdle is also slowing new SIM sales, with quarterly sales dropping from around 20 million to 14 million, a trend operators fear will ripple through banking, transport, e‑commerce and other digital services.