With only 36 days left before the official deadline to register all mobile phone lines in Mexico, the mandatory registration process has begun to show an unexpected acceleration. According to figures from the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT), the country went from 48 million registered lines on May 13 to 49.5 million by May 19—an additional one million registrations in just six days.
This figure implies a rate of approximately 250,000 lines registered daily. Even so, the total increase represents only 30.7% of the more than 161 million active mobile lines in the country, according to a report published by Expansión.
This figure contrasts sharply with the scenario reported weeks earlier. As we previously reported on Xataka México, by May 8, only 28.3 million lines had been registered, equivalent to 17.5% of the national registry. At that time, specialists warned that Mexico would need to register up to 1.7 million lines per day to meet the goal before June 30.
Although official figures show an acceleration, operators and industry associations maintain that the real picture is much slower, especially in the prepaid segment, where nearly 80% of the country’s mobile lines are concentrated.
The Mexican Association of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (AMOMVAC), which represents 23 telephone companies and around one million users, told Expansión that as of May 18, it had only managed to register about 20% of its customers.
AT&T also acknowledged limited progress. According to data shared by the company with Expansión, as of May 4, it had registered seven million lines out of a total base of 24.1 million users. However, the disparity between postpaid and prepaid services highlights the program’s main obstacle.
While 58.6% of postpaid customers have already completed the registration process, only 17.3% of prepaid lines have been registered. In January, we reported that the registry faced a huge challenge due to the number of recharge users and the difficulty of remotely validating identities. Even at the system’s launch, the registration platforms experienced crashes, intermittent service, and widespread errors.
In addition to the technical problems, experts believe that the main barrier remains user distrust. Jorge Bravo, president of the Mexican Association for the Right to Information, told Expansión that the CRT (Telecommunications Regulatory Commission) must prevent malpractice in the process, such as registrations carried out by third parties, operators, or even bots.
He explained that if a line can be registered without the user directly completing the process, the objective of combating crime through identification would be rendered meaningless. Concerns about the handling of personal data also persist. Since the registry’s inception, users have expressed concern about potential leaks, identity theft, or misuse of the information provided during registration.
As we reported, the system’s launch was marked by complaints about potential vulnerabilities in the platforms of operators like Telcel. At that time, specialists indicated that it was allegedly possible to access sensitive data associated with certain phone lines.
The CRT maintains that there is no centralized government database and that the information is safeguarded directly by the telephone companies, as is currently the case with postpaid services.
Mandatory registration was officially approved by the CRT in December 2025. The guidelines stipulate that all mobile lines must be associated with an individual or legal entity using their CURP (Unique Population Registry Code) and official identification, such as a voter ID card or passport.
The official objective is to eliminate anonymity in mobile telephony and hinder crimes committed from unidentified lines. Despite the delays and doubts about the registry’s actual progress, the government maintains its position of not extending the deadline.
José Antonio Merino, head of the Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency (ATDT), stated that an extension is not currently being considered because the number of registrations continues to grow daily. This means that, starting July 1, 2026, unregistered lines could be suspended for calls, texts, and mobile data, while millions of users remain outside the official registry.
Source: msn
