Mobile phone operators such as Telcel, AT&T, Telefónica and virtual mobile operators (MVNO) must verify that the cell phones they sell have the Cell Broadcast Service (CBS) system , so that alert messages can be sent to users in case of earthquakes, hurricanes and floods .
CBS technology for mobile service is designed to prioritize the timely and undisturbed transmission of communications and alert messages for risk or emergency situations.
The Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) explained that if mobile phone companies do not verify that the smartphones they sell have the CBS system to issue emergency alerts, they will be fined in accordance with article 128 of the Federal Telecommunications Law, which establishes that, for violating the provisions on homologation of equipment and wiring, the companies are subject to fines equivalent to 0.01% up to 0.75% of the income of the authorized dealer .
“If they don’t comply, they won’t be granted a certificate of conformity and they won’t be able to be homologated, and then they won’t be able to connect to a public network or use the radio spectrum ; On the side of the operators, who have the guidelines, if they do not comply with the obligation to send the alerts, they will receive sanctions according to the law”, warned Javier Juárez Mojica, interim president of the IFT in an interview with the media.
The advantages of the CBS system is that the messages can reach millions of devices in seconds , and it can also focus the sending of alerts; For example, in the event of a risk of flooding, the messages would only go to the entities or populations that would be affected.
Users will be able to identify the messages through a display format, sound and vibration. Smart watches (or smartwatch ) will be exempt from the technical provisions of the IFT, as long as they have a SIM or eSIM and are compatible with CBS.
“However, they will be able to receive and process some form of alert messages because the message display, sound and vibration may be different from what cell phones receive and process,” he added.
As of the second quarter of 2022, there are 134.2 million lines in Mexico , 4.8% more than the same period last year. Of the total number of mobile users, 94.6% have an intelligent device, that is, a smartphone , while 5.4% access 3G phones, according to data from The Ciu consultancy.
