On Thursday, June 25, 2026, the Mexican government announced a 184-day extension for mobile phone users to link their lines with their CURP (Clave Única de Registro de Población), the national identification code. This extension pushes the original deadline from June 30 to December 31, 2026, aligning with the holiday season but marking a firm cutoff for prepaid users whose numbers end in 9.

This move affects roughly 82 million mobile users who have yet to complete this registration, part of a broader national effort to strengthen crime prevention and investigation by associating each phone line with its owner’s identity. The initiative, overseen by the Comisión Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones (CRT), aims to provide authorities with better tools to combat insecurity.

Here’s how the staggered deadlines work for prepaid users, based on the last digit of their phone number (postpaid users are automatically linked):
– August 5: numbers ending in 0
– August 31: 1
– September 15: 2
– September 30: 3
– October 15: 4
– October 31: 5
– November 15: 6
– November 30: 7
– December 15: 8
– December 31: 9

According to CRT data from June 23, 2026, about 43.28% of the mobile market—roughly 63 million lines—have been linked, including 40.2 million prepaid and 22.8 million postpaid lines. This leaves a significant 82 million lines still unregistered, a number comparable to the combined mobile markets of Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

The CRT warns that once the deadline for each digit passes, telecom companies will suspend unlinked prepaid lines within 72 hours. Suspended lines will only be able to make emergency calls, contact customer service, or receive earthquake alerts.

This extension marks a notable shift for the CRT, which had initially set June 30 as the final date despite industry requests for more time. The legal framework allows for up to 120 additional business days, but the decision to extend to December 31 remains somewhat opaque, with no clear explanation yet from the regulator.

The registration process has faced technical challenges since its launch, including a tight 30-day window for telecom companies to adapt their systems to register approximately 150 million lines. Virtual mobile operators recently requested the extension after losing over a million users due to registration difficulties, while network operators also reported similar losses but committed to meeting CRT requirements.

The government estimates the infrastructure cost of this registration at over 4 billion pesos (about 220 million USD), initially absorbed by telecom companies and eventually passed on to consumers through service plans.

While the registration aims to enhance public safety, the extension reflects the complexities of implementing large-scale digital identity initiatives in Mexico’s telecom sector. For users, this means more time to comply—but also a clear warning that unlinked lines will face service restrictions after their respective deadlines.