Introduction to the New Mobile Telephony Registry in Mexico
Starting January 9, 2026, Mexico’s new mobile telephony registry will require service providers to register approximately 160 million active phone lines across the country. This initiative, ordered by the federal government, aims to curb organized crime activities.
The Challenge for Telecommunications Industry
The Comisión Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones (CRT) has given service providers only 30 natural days to adapt their technological systems and begin registering all these phone numbers starting January 9, 2026. The deadline for full validation is June 30, 2026, after which access to services will be limited to emergency services only, starting July 9, 2026.
Industry-wide Impact
The challenge is immense, as the entire industry must register 930,000 cellular lines daily to meet the June 30 deadline. This equates to registering three times Belize’s mobile market daily for the 172 days between January 9 and June 30, 2026.
Business Sector’s Plea for Extension
Business chambers in the sector have requested during the public consultation organized by the CRT an extension of time for the registration’s start. Despite these requests, the CRT maintained its strict timeline.
- Who requested the extension? The Cámara Nacional de la Industria Electrónica, de Telecomunicaciones y Tecnologías de la Información (Canieti) and the Asociación Mexicana de Operadores Móviles Virtuales, A.C. (AMOMVAC) are among those who sought a postponement from the CRT.
- Which companies are involved? These entities represent brands such as AT&T, Telefónica, Altán Redes, Izzi Móvil, Megamóvil, Mujer Móvil, and Vasanta, catering to at least 75 million cellular accesses.
Telcel’s Role and Challenges
Telcel, Mexico’s largest company in the market with approximately 85 million mobile users, will need to associate 494,176 cellular lines daily with a person’s identity.
Despite its quarterly revenue of around 3,505 million dollars, Telcel faces financial impacts as each registration attempt costs the company about 3.45 pesos plus VAT. This challenge applies to all operators, including AT&T, Telefónica, and BAIT, which serve between 21 and 24 million mobile clients.
Mobile virtual operators like BAIT, Virgin, and Vasanta, designed for digital channels and remote user management, may struggle with this new registry. If users fail to register within the allowed three online attempts, they must do so in-person at a brand location, which might benefit traditional operators.
Impact on Other Companies
The mobile telephony registry isn’t limited to cellular market companies; it also affects those offering bundled services like Megacable or Televisa, each with around 700,000 cellular clients.
For instance, Izzi Móvil must register 3,488 phone numbers daily between January 9 and June 30 to avoid deactivating numbers and losing mobile clients.
Costs and Concerns
The registry’s infrastructure cost is valued at 4,053 million 652,389.40 pesos (approximately 220.70 million dollars), initially absorbed by telecommunications companies, eventually passed on to consumers through service plans.
This initiative might also pose another hurdle for the 12 million Mexicans in remote, low-income areas yet to connect to the internet due to operational costs absorbed by service providers in registering users from a non-profitable market.
This is Mexico’s second attempt to create a telephony registry for crime prevention, following the failed Padrón Nacional de Usuarios de Telefonía Móvil (Panaut), which was deemed unconstitutional for violating Mexicans’ privacy and personal data protection rights.
