Latin America

Mexico approaches another deadline to register prepaid mobile lines

Numbers ending in 3 must be linked to their users by September 30. Published counts of unregistered lines have different cut-off dates and are not a tally of current suspensions.

Mexico is approaching the September 30 deadline for linking prepaid mobile numbers ending in 3 to their users’ identities. Under the calendar attributed to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, or CRT, an operator may temporarily suspend an unregistered line within 72 hours after its deadline. The process affects large carriers as well as virtual providers. It does not mean that every number awaiting registration has already been disconnected. [1] [2] [3]

The CRT calendar gave August 15 to numbers ending in 0, August 31 to those ending in 1 and September 15 to those ending in 2. After the group ending in 3, deadlines continue in stages until December 31 for numbers ending in 9. The original rules require providers to identify the line holder and offer customer-service channels; the last-digit calendar came later. [1] [3]

Reporting published by El Financiero on September 22 put the total without completed registration in the first three groups at 7,327,414, using figures attributed to the CRT. The cut-offs, however, differ: August 19 for numbers ending in 0, September 3 for those ending in 1 and September 19 for those ending in 2. The sum therefore does not measure how many lines remain unregistered today or how many were actually suspended. The regulator had not provided subsequent registrations for each group in that tally. [2]

For operators, registration means identifying the number holder and associating the line through customer-service systems. The official rules provide for online registration through the carrier and in-person registration at a service centre. The process is free and generates a confirmation code. Registering a suspended line can restore service without losing the number, according to the rules and the information reported by El Financiero. [1] [2]

That distinction matters when judging commercial impact. A number outstanding in a statistical snapshot is not automatically a lost customer; the user can register later. A temporary suspension is not the same as permanent cancellation. El Financiero names Telcel, AT&T, Movistar, Bait and mobile virtual operators among the providers affected. Virtual operators sell service using another carrier’s network. The next useful evidence will be an updated, comparable count of registrations and suspensions, which the consulted sources do not yet provide. [1] [2]

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