Latin America

Mexico moves to suspend unregistered mobile lines ending in 3 as deadline passes

Operators may temporarily suspend numbers that remained unlinked after the 30 September deadline. Numbers ending in 4 are due by 15 October; no verified count of suspensions in this group is available.

Mobile operators in Mexico entered the temporary suspension phase on 4 October for numbers ending in 3 that had not been linked to a named holder by 30 September. The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT) allows up to 72 hours after the deadline for suspension to take effect. Suspension does not mean losing the number: ordinary service returns once the holder completes registration. No verifiable count of lines actually suspended in this group has been published. [1][2]

The process links each number to its holder's identity and is handled by the company providing the service, rather than by an unrelated third party. The CRT's official portal directs customers to operator platforms and shows the timetable based on the number's final digit. Registration is free and can be completed online or at an authorised customer centre. The next deadline is 15 October for numbers ending in 4; later groups have dates through December. [1][2]

AT&T Mexico says customers with older lines should follow the deadline tied to the final digit, while its monthly plans are normally already associated with a named holder. For lines still needing registration, it offers a remote link and assistance in its stores. The company requires current identification and sends a confirmation text message once the process is complete. Customers can also check linked lines through its own portal. These are the steps AT&T describes for its customers; other companies' procedures should not be assumed to be identical. [1]

Suspended lines cannot use ordinary calls, text messages or mobile data. According to the CRT, emergency and public-assistance calls, contact with the operator and the highest-level earthquake alerts remain available. El Economista reported the start of this phase and clarified that suspension is not permanent cancellation of the number. Its account relies mainly on the regulator's timetable; it is not an independent count of disconnections already carried out by individual carriers. [1][2]

For operators, this phase means checking identities, processing reactivations and maintaining help channels without treating a deadline as automatic loss of numbering. Customers can use their own operator's official site to confirm whether a line is linked and keep the confirmation reference. AT&T says a suspended line can be registered and ordinary service restored. Verified figures for suspensions, reactivations and problems with the process remain outstanding; they cannot be inferred from the number of lines whose deadline has passed. [1][2]

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