Strengthening the culture of prevention in Mexico will reach a new technological milestone next May 6, 2026.
At 11:00 a.m. (Central Time)the National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC) will activate the First National Drill 2026an exercise that, in addition to the traditional speakers, will use cell broadcast technology to send an alert message directly to the devices mobiles.
The seismic alert on cell phones expands the scope of the early warning in CDMX. Photo: Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency
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Unlike conventional text messages (SMS) or notifications from applications that require mobile data, the system that will be tested this May 6 uses technology known as Cell Broadcast.
According to technical specifications detailed by the GSMA (global organization that represents the interests of mobile network operators worldwide), this protocol allows the mass broadcast of alerts in seconds without saturating telephone networks. The advantage major is that the message reaches all devices within a specific geographic area, even if the phone is in mode silent or blocked.
To ensure receipt of the message, users should verify that their device has “Emergency Alerts” or “Government Alerts” enabled. The process is summarized in the following steps (according to international technical guides for operating systems):
- On Android devices: Go to “Settings”, select “Security and Emergency” (or “Notifications”) and verify that “Wireless Emergency Alerts” are active.
- On iOS devices (iPhone): Go to “Settings”, then “Notifications” and swipe to the bottom of the screen to activate the options under the “Government Alerts” heading.
Photo: Screenshot in X
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He National Drill 2026 is carried out within the framework of the 40th anniversary of the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc). The central hypothesis will be a large earthquake, which will activate more than 14 thousand loudspeakers in states such as Mexico City, Guerrero, Oaxaca and Puebla. According to the technological observatory Mobile Timeit is estimated that the alert could reach more than 80 million cell phone users simultaneous.
The text that will appear on citizens’ screens has been standardized to avoid confusion. “THIS IS A DRILL. This is a message to test the functionality of the National Alert System of the Government of Mexico”, is the official legend that will be displayed accompanied by a distinctive sound signal.
The authorities emphasize that this exercise is essential to evaluate the latency of the system and the response of the operators (Telcel, AT&T, Movistar and Altán Redes) before its definitive implementation for real emergencies.
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