The Mexican government has approved a 184-day extension for the national mobile phone registry, allowing approximately 82 million users to link their lines with their CURP identity data. According to the Comisión Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones (CRT), the deadline is now set for December 31, moving from the previously established date of June 30. The extension applies to prepay users, as post-paid lines are already considered linked.
Did You Know? The number of unlinked mobile lines in Mexico—82,002,791 as of late June—is equivalent to the combined mobile markets of Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay as of the first quarter of 2025.
Why the extension was granted
The CRT admitted that the original timeline for the registry was not suitable for the scale of the task. The project, intended to bolster crime prevention and investigation, requires the association of every mobile line with a specific user identity. The initial 30-day window provided for operators to update their systems proved insufficient, leading to technical complications and a loss of over 1 million users for some mobile virtual network operators, according to the CRT.
What happens if users do not register
Prepaid users must register based on the final digit of their phone number, with December 31 serving as the final cutoff for all remaining lines. The CRT confirmed that once the deadline for a specific digit passes, companies will suspend service within 72 hours. During this suspension, users will only be able to place calls to emergency services, citizen assistance lines, their phone company, or receive seismic alerts.
Expert Insight: This shift represents the first significant regulatory hurdle for the CRT in its current capacity. By moving the deadline, the regulator has effectively abandoned its earlier stance that the June 30 date was non-negotiable. This decision highlights the tension between the government’s security objectives and the technical realities faced by telecommunications providers, who must now absorb a portion of the estimated 4,053 million pesos in infrastructure costs before passing those expenses on to consumers.
Regulatory context and future steps
The CRT will formalize this extension through the Diario Oficial de la Federación. While the agency has faced criticism previously—specifically regarding claims about radio spectrum pricing that conflicted with data from the OECD, GSMA, and Asiet—its next major project remains the first auction of radio spectrum for productive processes. It remains unclear exactly when the CRT’s plenary board approved this extension or what specific legal arguments were used to bypass the original, more restrictive guidelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all mobile phone users required to register?
No. Only prepaid users need to link their lines with their CURP. The CRT states that post-paid lines are already automatically linked.
What happens to my phone service if I miss the deadline?
Once the deadline for your specific phone number digit passes, service will be suspended within 72 hours. You will only be able to contact emergency services, citizen assistance, or your provider, and receive earthquake warnings.
What is the final deadline for the registry?
The government has set December 31 as the final date for all remaining unlinked prepaid lines to be registered.
How will these technical adjustments impact the security goals of the national mobile registry in the coming year?
