AnalysisTelecomMéxico
Bait now holds 9.4% of Mexico's mobile lines and pulls MVNOs along
Virtual operators gain almost four points of share in two years, and more than half of it is Bait's. The line registry slowed them in the first half; the summer has picked them up again.
By Mobilens analysis team · · 4 min read
In September 2026, 16.9% of active mobile lines in Mexico belonged to a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO): brands that sell mobile service over another operator's network. Two years earlier it was 13.0%. That is almost four points of share in a market where the network operators barely move from one quarter to the next.
- 9.4%
- of active mobile lines are Bait's
- 16.9%
- are on an MVNO, 3.9 points more than two years ago
- 56%
- of the virtual share is Bait's
Bait, more than half of the virtual market
Not every MVNO grows alike. Bait, Walmart's mobile operator, goes from 5.7% to 9.4% of lines in two years: on its own it holds more than half of the virtual share. The other virtual brands hold 7.5% today, almost the same as in 2024.
- Bait
- Other MVNOs
| Bait | Other MVNOs | |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 24 | 5.8% | 7.2% |
| Oct 24 | 5.9% | 7.3% |
| Nov 24 | 6% | 7.6% |
| Dec 24 | 6.3% | 8% |
| Jan 25 | 6.3% | 8.6% |
| Feb 25 | 6.6% | 8.8% |
| Mar 25 | 6.6% | 8.8% |
| Apr 25 | 6.9% | 8.6% |
| May 25 | 7.1% | 8.4% |
| Jun 25 | 7.3% | 8.5% |
| Jul 25 | 7.5% | 8.3% |
| Aug 25 | 7.4% | 8.3% |
| Sep 25 | 7.4% | 8.4% |
| Oct 25 | 7.7% | 8.5% |
| Nov 25 | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Dec 25 | 8.6% | 8.7% |
| Jan 26 | 8.6% | 8.7% |
| Feb 26 | 8.4% | 8.6% |
| Mar 26 | 8.2% | 8.5% |
| Apr 26 | 8.3% | 8.2% |
| May 26 | 8.3% | 8% |
| Jun 26 | 8.5% | 7.8% |
| Jul 26 | 8.8% | 7.7% |
| Aug 26 | 9.2% | 7.6% |
| Sep 26 | 9.4% | 7.5% |
View the data
| Bait | Other MVNOs | |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 24 | 5.75% | 7.23% |
| Oct 24 | 5.92% | 7.25% |
| Nov 24 | 6.04% | 7.6% |
| Dec 24 | 6.26% | 7.97% |
| Jan 25 | 6.31% | 8.56% |
| Feb 25 | 6.59% | 8.76% |
| Mar 25 | 6.57% | 8.82% |
| Apr 25 | 6.92% | 8.58% |
| May 25 | 7.11% | 8.39% |
| Jun 25 | 7.31% | 8.5% |
| Jul 25 | 7.45% | 8.33% |
| Aug 25 | 7.38% | 8.28% |
| Sep 25 | 7.42% | 8.42% |
| Oct 25 | 7.66% | 8.53% |
| Nov 25 | 8.25% | 8.8% |
| Dec 25 | 8.59% | 8.72% |
| Jan 26 | 8.59% | 8.71% |
| Feb 26 | 8.43% | 8.56% |
| Mar 26 | 8.2% | 8.45% |
| Apr 26 | 8.27% | 8.17% |
| May 26 | 8.26% | 7.95% |
| Jun 26 | 8.47% | 7.75% |
| Jul 26 | 8.79% | 7.73% |
| Aug 26 | 9.22% | 7.59% |
| Sep 26 | 9.41% | 7.47% |
Source: Mobilens · % of active mobile lines · Sep 2024 – Sep 2026
Data by Mobilens®. Based on our own mobile user panels.
The line registry slowed the first half
MVNO share peaked in December 2025 at 17.3% and slipped to 16.2% in June 2026. That period matches the mandatory mobile line registry, which required every number to be linked to an identity by 30 June. In March, Walmart told Expansión that the registry was reducing new sign-ups, because many customers do not want to share their details.
Our data shows who it hit hardest. Through the half year Bait held between 8.2% and 8.6%; it was the other MVNOs that lost almost a point, from 8.7% to 7.8%.
A summer at a promotional price
Once the registry deadline passed, Bait added almost a point in the third quarter: from 8.5% in June to 9.4% in September. That matches its unlimited data promotion, 169 pesos for 30 days between 1 August and 30 September against the usual 230, according to Expansión's comparison. It is the cheapest unlimited plan on the market; Telcel's and AT&T's cost more than 1,300 pesos a month.
| Unlimited plan | Price a month (MXN) | Full speed up to |
|---|---|---|
| Bait | 169 (Aug-Sep promotion; 230 usual) | 15 GB |
| izzi móvil | 247 for izzi customers (600 general) | Not stated |
| Movistar Pro Ilimitado | 599 (300 for the first two months) | Fair-use policy |
| Telcel Ultra Ilimitado | 1,349 | 200 GB |
| AT&T Pro Ilimitado | 1,449 | Fair-use policy |
What the headline does not tell
Which operator do Bait's new customers come from? How much data do they use on a 169-peso unlimited plan, and on which apps? How many still carry another SIM? We measure all of that too, every month and by operator, in Mobilens Telecom.