2.6 Million Mexican Mobile Lines Disconnected for Failing to Link Personal Data

Mexico's Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT) has disconnected nearly 2.6 million mobile phone lines that end with the digit '0' due to users' failure to link their personal information.

The regulatory body reported that as of August 19, these lines were suspended. The CRT stated that out of 12,268,608 lines ending in '0', 78.9% were registered by their users, totaling 9,675,589. Despite the disconnections, the CRT reiterated that users whose lines were suspended can recover their service immediately by completing the required linkage. Over 2.35 million suspended lines in this batch have already been reactivated after users provided their CURP (Unique Population Registry Code) and INE (National Electoral Institute) credentials.

The deadline for users with lines ending in '0' to link their data was August 15. The CRT indicated that they anticipate a further "cleansing" of about 2.5 million additional lines ending in '0' that are no longer in use. Currently, 73.2 million lines across all carriers have been registered, representing 60.5% of the total lines expected to be linked nationwide, after accounting for an estimated 25 million lines that are already out of use.

The government estimates there are 144 million phone lines in the country, though some reports suggest a higher number. The unused lines are attributed to various factors, including companies giving away chips that were never activated, single-use chips purchased by temporary visitors, or promotional offers. The official calendar for linking phone lines by their last digit continues through December 31, with lines ending in '1' having a deadline of August 31.