Mexico: rules and approvals
Mexico has two approval schemes, telecom homologation and NOM certification, and neither is mandatory for every product; which applies depends on what is being sold.
Mexico · hazardous area
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Supplier in Mexico
The IS-04Z1 is an Ex mobile phone for people working inside classified areas at Mexican refineries, offshore platforms, petrochemical plants and fuel terminals. This page sets out how a hazardous area mobile phone supply route to Mexico will work for the IS-04Z1, and what is and is not available before launch.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Marking targetEx ib IIC T4Intrinsic safety, Zone 1 / 21 design target · certification in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
Search topichazardous area
DeviceMobile Phone
RouteSupply
WhereMexico
Short answer. A hazardous area mobile phone for Mexico cannot be bought yet: the SAMS IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued), and the datasheet, certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted for Q4 2026. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · hazardous area
Checklist: hazardous area mobile phone for Mexico
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Zone | 0, 1 or 2 for gas; 20, 21 or 22 for dust | Designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC | IIC (target) |
| Area drawing | The operator's own classification drawing | Decided by the site operator |
| Where it applies | Mexico: Altamira, Tamaulipas, Tula, Hidalgo, Dos Bocas, Tabasco | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Mexico
The product behind this search: the SAMS IS-04Z1.
SAMS IS-04Z1
An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Mexico. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
- IP68 sealed
- 4,000 mAh battery
- 50 MP camera
- Android 16
- Zone 1 / Zone 21 design target
The market · Mexico
Hazardous-area industry in Mexico
The main operators, industrial areas and sites that the SAMS Mexico market guide covers.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- Pemex
- The national refining system, Campeche production, pipelines and terminals
- CFE
- Power stations and their fuel handling and storage areas
- Braskem Idesa
- The Etileno XXI polyethylene complex in southern Veracruz
- Alpek and Indelpro
- Polyester and polypropylene production on the Gulf coast
- Cydsa
- Chemicals and underground hydrocarbon storage in Veracruz
- Vopak
- Chemical and petrochemical tank terminals at Altamira and Coatzacoalcos
Industrial areas and sites
- Dos Bocas, Tabasco
- The Olmeca refinery, still ramping up through 2026
- Bay of Campeche
- Ku-Maloob-Zaap, Cantarell and the Ayatsil development
- Ciudad del Carmen
- The onshore base supporting the offshore fleet
- Coatzacoalcos and Minatitlán
- Refining and petrochemicals along the Isthmus corridor
- Altamira, Tamaulipas
- The leading port for petrochemical fluids in Mexico
- Tula, Hidalgo
- Refining and power generation on the central plateau
Field notes · Mexico
More about Mexico that matters for portable equipment
Mexico: industry on the ground
Oil was first refined into kerosene around 1876 near Tampico, and Pemex's Tula refinery in Hidalgo is among its major inland refining sites.
Mexico: rules and approvals
NOM certificates of conformity, issued by bodies such as NYCE and ANCE, allow customs clearance into Mexico, and the Secretaria de Economia oversees NOM enforcement.
Mexico: industry on the ground
The offshore Cantarell field was discovered in 1976, started production in 1979 and peaked in 2004, so ageing offshore infrastructure is a feature of Mexican upstream work.
The term · hazardous area
What “hazardous area” means for a smartphone
A hazardous area is a place where flammable gas, vapour or combustible dust may be present. Standards divide these into zones: Zones 0, 1 and 2 for gas and vapour, and Zones 20, 21 and 22 for dust. Zone 1 and Zone 21 are the tier where an explosive atmosphere is likely to occur in normal operation, which is where the IS-04Z1 is designed to work. Anything carried in must be marked for the zone, gas group and temperature class of the area.
No certificate has been issued for the IS-04Z1 yet, so it must not be taken into a classified area until the certificate covering it exists and the site operator has accepted it.
In Mexico. Mexico spreads classified work across the Bay of Campeche and Ciudad del Carmen, the Isthmus corridor, Altamira, Tula, Cadereyta, Salamanca and Salina Cruz. Dust areas, such as coke, sulfur, cement and grain handling, are easy to overlook. Operators classify each area, and ASEA requirements sit above that in hydrocarbons; SAMS does not classify.
The route · supply
Sourcing the IS-04Z1 for Mexico
Nothing can be bought for Mexico today: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch, and SAMS will supply end users through authorised distributors once certificates exist. What a buyer can do now is take the specification, ask for the written certification schedule and arrange a safe-area evaluation, so that the right local channel contacts you at launch.
- 01
Request the datasheet
The technical specification, marking target and conditions of use, sent by email.
- 02
Ask for the certification schedule
Which certificates are in progress, in what order, and what is still to be confirmed.
- 03
Evaluate in a safe area
Evaluation units can be used for connectivity, MDM enrolment and workflow testing outside classified areas.
- 04
Register for launch
Tell us the site, zone, gas group and quantity so the right authorised distributor can contact you.
Questions · Mexico
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy a hazardous area mobile phone in Mexico today?
Not today. Until the certificates are issued the IS-04Z1 stays out of classified areas, and until launch there is nothing to purchase. You can ask for the datasheet and the certification schedule, or book a safe-area evaluation unit.
What does a hazardous area mobile phone in Mexico cost?
No price is published. While certification is in progress there is no list price and no committed lead time, and a supplier quoting a firm figure for an uncertified Ex handset is promising something it cannot stand behind. Indicative pre-launch pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
Which hazardous areas is the IS-04Z1 designed for?
Zone 1 and Zone 21 (gas and dust) with gas group IIC and temperature class T4, subject to certification. It must not be used in a classified area before its certificate is issued and the site has accepted it.
Which sites in Mexico does this cover?
The market guide for Mexico covers Dos Bocas, Tabasco, Bay of Campeche, Ciudad del Carmen, Coatzacoalcos and Minatitlán, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
How will SAMS supply Mexico?
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
Which Mexican body approves telecom equipment now?
Following the 2025 changes, the Comision Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones within the Agencia de Transformacion Digital y Telecomunicaciones issues Certificates of Homologation, replacing the IFT. Check the current procedures with the CRT or an accredited body, as supplier documents may still cite IFT.
What conditions should devices handle on the Gulf of Mexico coast?
Gulf coast and offshore sites typically combine heat, high humidity, salt air and seasonal storms, so check ingress protection, corrosion resistance and operating temperature range. Confirm platform transfer rules, such as helicopter battery restrictions, with the operator before deployment.
Does the IS-04Z1 need homologación in Mexico?
Radio equipment needs homologación separately from hazardous area approval, and that step is in progress alongside the explosion protection programme. No approval has been granted yet. Check with the site and your telecoms team which documents they will require before any device is enrolled.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Other guides for Mexico, other places in Mexico, and the pages behind them.
Rugged Mobile Phone Distributor in MexicoSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier in MexicoSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in MexicoSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone in MexicoSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Distributor in MexicoSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone Supplier in MexicoSame place, different guide
Mexico market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for MexicoEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Mexico
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Mexico
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Enquiry · Mexico
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Mexico?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.