Without the need for internet, the seismic alert can be received from the cell phone

The seismic alert can be received on any cell phone, in cities implemented with Cell Broadcast technology that uses conventional cellular telephony: this was announced by the Mexican Seismic Warning System (SASMEX). The system detailed that it plans to implement this technological tool so that the alert sounds on all cell phones without needing to be connected to the internet.

“Cell Broadcast technology is not an app (application) that needs the Internet to operate, it uses conventional cellular telephony and could be used to disseminate seismic warning warnings from the Mexican Seismic Warning System (SASMEX) to the entire population,” he said.

It was through its networks that SASMEX announced the possibility of this tool being used regardless of the telephone company.

“CIRES' installed telecommunications capacity could be used to disseminate seismic warning through Cell Broadcast technology,” he said. The project will be developed with the support of the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) and concessionaires, who will provide the channels to allow notification to take place.

So far the institution has not given a specific date for the launch of the application, it merely explained that “Mexico is already working on it and could put it into operation in the medium term”.

At the moment, there are apps available that serve the same purpose, such as SkyAlert (one of the most popular apps in Mexico, a technological tool that warns about the possible earthquake in progress and its intensity, that is, low, moderate or intense) Earthquake Detector, My Shake, Earthquake and App 911. It should be noted that some of them have limitations, especially when it comes to internet connection.

At least this month there have been several earthquakes, one of them was that of March 3, the seismic alert surprised the inhabitants of the Valley of Mexico this Thursday, March 3 around 8:40 in the morning. According to the official report of the National Seismological Service (SSN), an earthquake of magnitude 5.7 degrees was recorded, with an epicenter in Veracruz.

On March 17, Salina Cruz was the epicenter of a magnitude 4.0 earthquake that surprised the inhabitants of the state of Oaxaca today at 0:51am local time (6:51 UTC). The earthquake happened 97 km south of the city and had a depth of 16 kilometers. A day later (March 18), the inhabitants of the city of Acapulco experienced an earthquake that reached a magnitude of 4.8 and reached a depth of 22 kilometers.

Mexico is located in an area of high seismicity. According to information from the National Seismological, an average of 40 tremors are recorded daily in the country. While there is one that does not merit the activation of systemic alert, there have been others that have led to great tragedies.

It is worth recalling the great impact of the earthquakes of 1985 and 2017, which caused great havoc throughout the territory. However, there are records of even more destructive movements in the country's history.

The strongest earthquake recorded until occurred on March 28, 1787 and had its epicenter in Oaxaca. The earth shook with the force of 8.6 degrees on the Richter scale.

According to the data of the Centre for Instrumentation and Seismic Recording (Cires), carried out in 2009 on the earthquake cited, there is the possibility of a repetition of events above this magnitude.

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