The Government of the State of Mexico has announced that the first national test of the Telephone Alert System will be carried out on Monday, August 19 at 11:00 a.m. Thanks to this, we will send an SMS alert to our mobile phone, completely free of charge.

A test that does not require an internet connection. Phone Alert System does not require our phone to be connected to a data network or WiFi. The only requirement is that it is connected to the cellular network with a network connection.

This is because we will receive the message via SMS like any other message sent by our contacts, companies, operators, etc. The cost will be completely free, regardless of the tariff and operator we have agreed on.

Why will I receive SMS?The Mexican State Government is testing a system that would alert cell phones in the event of an earthquake emergency, as is already done in many countries.

This is the first test to be conducted, so there will be no audible alert. The government’s aim is to confirm that the system is ready for implementation at the National Exercise on September 19, following the failed alert on August 2.

How does the system work?. This notification will come through a function that we know from tests in countries like Spain. The Cell Broadcast System is a technology that we have been talking about for years, but that the Mexican government has not implemented until now.

This solution uses existing telecommunications infrastructure to send alerts directly to phones within a predetermined area. The main advantage of GIS is that the alerts it sends are not affected by network congestion.

Will it be just for earthquakes? Laura Velázquez, The National Civil Protection Coordinator explained that the function of these warnings goes much further.

“It is a warning system that allows us to call the population not only for earthquakes but also regionally. When we experience heavy rainfall, floods or landslides, we can warn of any of these natural problems via mobile phone.”

The implementation of GIS is a significant benefit for the government. It will not only allow you to warn about earthquakes, but it will also be a tool that will allow you to warn about different natural events.

The government does not have access to your mobile phone. Some of the comments on the warning proposal on social network X reveal the concern of some users. Does the state have access to our phone? Fortunately, the answer is no.

Although in countries like Spain the system is more advanced by sending notifications instead of SMS, we never have to accept anything or give any type of permission. We will receive the warning that we can delete like any other SMS.

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