Mexico Suspends 2.2 Million Lines Under Phone Registry
MEXICO · TELECOM
Key Facts
- —The country Mexico, the southern neighbour of the United States, where the US State Department says about 1.6 million US citizens live.
- —What happened Mexico’s telecom regulator said on Monday 5 October that 2,248,143 mobile lines ending in 3 were suspended after missing the registry deadline.
- —The rule Mexico’s phone registry requires every mobile line to be linked to its user, and AT&T Mexico accepts foreigners’ valid home-country passports.
- —The numbers By Sunday 4 October, 91,850,448 lines were linked, which the regulator says is 76.5% of the lines it expects.
- —Next deadline Lines ending in 4 must be linked by Thursday 15 October, and the last group, ending in 9, by Thursday 31 December.
- —What it means for you A suspended line can still call emergency numbers, so anyone with a Mexican number should check its last digit now.
- —Still open The regulator has not said how many suspended lines belong to foreigners or which carriers they use.
Mexico has suspended about 2.2 million mobile lines ending in the digit 3 because their owners missed the phone registry deadline. The country’s telecom regulator gave the exact figure, 2,248,143 lines, on Monday 5 October.
The rule reaches Americans too, because it covers mobile numbers held by foreigners as well as by Mexicans. The US State Department says about 1.6 million US citizens live in Mexico, the top foreign destination for US travellers.
What the Regulator Reported
The figures come from the Comisión Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones (CRT), the federal body that oversees Mexico’s phone and broadcasting networks. Its chair is commissioner Norma Solano.
The CRT said that by Sunday 4 October, 9,851,807 lines ending in 3 had been linked to their users. The regulator put that at 87.3% of the lines it expected for that digit.
Of the suspended lines, 1,213,717 have already been switched back on after their owners completed the process. The CRT expects about 1.4 million more lines ending in 3 to be reactivated in the coming days.
It also plans to purge about 2.5 million unused lines in that group. The Mexican business daily El Financiero published the figures from the CRT statement on Monday.
How Mexico’s Phone Registry Works
Under the phone registry, every mobile line must be linked to the identity of its holder. Mexico’s government has said the aim is to curb crime tied to anonymous phone numbers.
Deadlines run by the last digit of each number. Lines ending in 0 had to be linked by 15 August, and each later digit has had its own cut-off since then.
Once a deadline passes, carriers suspend unlinked lines within 72 hours, according to AT&T Mexico. A suspended line can still call emergency numbers until its owner completes the process.
By 4 October, 91,850,448 lines were linked nationwide, which the CRT said is 76.5% of the lines it expects in the phone registry. That estimate allows for about 25 million unused lines to be purged.
The registry’s effect on Mexico’s mobile market was the subject of an August report on the registration cleanup.
What It Means for You
If you live in Mexico or keep a Mexican number, check the last digit of your line against the calendar. Lines ending in 4 must be linked by Thursday 15 October.
Lines ending in 5 follow on Saturday 31 October, 6 on Sunday 15 November and 7 on Monday 30 November. Lines ending in 8 are due on Tuesday 15 December and 9 on Thursday 31 December.
Customers on monthly contract plans need not act, because their identity was recorded when they signed up, AT&T Mexico says. Anyone unsure should ask their carrier.
The phone registry covers foreigners too. AT&T Mexico, one of the country’s mobile carriers, accepts a valid passport from a foreign customer’s home country.
Mexicans can use a valid passport or the voter card issued by the National Electoral Institute (INE). Expired documents are rejected, the carrier warns, so check the date on your passport first.
Linking can be done remotely or in person at the carrier’s stores, according to AT&T Mexico. A line that is already suspended comes back once its owner completes the same process.
Visitors should plan ahead as well. A newly bought SIM card works only for emergency calls until it is linked, Infobae México reported in January.
What AT&T Mexico Tells Customers
AT&T Mexico now greets visitors to its website with a direct warning. It asks whether their service was suspended and says the deadline for numbers ending in 3 has passed.
The carrier tells those customers they need to link their number to recover it. A suspended line can still reach its operator and receive official alerts such as earthquake warnings, Infobae México reported in August.
The carrier also says linking for the phone registry is done remotely or in person at its stores, never over a phone call.
What Is Not Known
The CRT has not said how many of the suspended lines belong to foreign residents or visitors. It has also not given a breakdown of the suspensions by carrier.
It is also unclear whether the owner of a number purged under the phone registry can later reclaim it. The CRT has not said how its plan to purge about 2.5 million unused lines relates to the 2.2 million it suspended.
More: Mexico news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do foreigners have to register a Mexican phone line?
Yes. The phone registry covers lines held by foreigners, and AT&T Mexico accepts a valid passport from a foreign customer’s home country. Expired documents are rejected.
What can a suspended line still do?
It can still call emergency numbers, according to AT&T Mexico. Full service returns once the owner links the line to their identity.
When is the next deadline?
Lines ending in 4 must be linked by Thursday 15 October 2026. The final group, lines ending in 9, has until Thursday 31 December.
How many lines are in the phone registry so far?
By Sunday 4 October, 91,850,448 lines were linked, according to the CRT. The regulator says that is 76.5% of the lines it expects to be linked, allowing for unused lines to be purged.
Sources: Comisión Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones (CRT) statement of 5 October 2026, quoted by El Financiero, 5 October 2026; Sinaloahoy, CRT figures on suspended lines ending in 3, 5 October 2026; AT&T México, Vincula tu línea (requirements and deadlines), 6 October 2026; AT&T México, homepage notice on lines ending in 3, 6 October 2026; Infobae México, registry rules explained by the government, 16 January 2026; Infobae México, what a suspended line can still do, 3 August 2026; US Department of State, U.S. Relations With Mexico, 6 October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error