On 9 September 2025, large numbers of people across the Dominican Republic received a test message, part of the new public warning program. The test program has been set up for Claro telecom Android phones.
The Dominican government has activated the first phase of its new National Alert System, a technological tool designed to send immediate and geolocated emergency messages to mobile phones across the country.
A technical test was conducted on Tuesday, 9 September 2025 to customers of the Claro Dominicana network and using Cell Broadcast (CB) technology. This system, unlike traditional SMS messages, guarantees a real-time alert by sending notifications directly to mobile devices in specific risk areas.
Cell broadcast is described as a public warning technology used to send mass alerts to mobile phones in a specific geographical area, even during emergencies when network congestion is high. Unlike standard text messages, cell broadcast alerts are triggered by authorities, reach everyone in a cell tower’s coverage area simultaneously, don’t require the user to opt-in or have an app, and can bypass internet connectivity. This makes it an efficient method for disseminating critical public safety information, such as for natural disasters or public health emergencies.
During the test of the system for the Dominican Republic, a message was sent simultaneously to Android devices, stating: “Presidential Alert. This warning from the National Alert System, transmitted through the Claro mobile network and for now reaching Android devices in Greater Santo Domingo, Santiago de los Caballeros, and San Juan de la Maguana, is intended to alert about disasters (COE) and public safety (Police, Public Ministry, and 911). This message is a technical test, no response is required.”
For now, the system will only function on Claro’s Android devices. The new system will operate under two categories: emergencies and natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and tsunamis, all managed by the Center for Emergency Operations (COE).
The Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) has announced a US$900,000 investment in the new National Alert System, a move aimed at enhancing citizen safety and emergency response. This initiative, a collaborative effort with the National Emergency and Security System (911), will fund the purchase and installation of technology designed to deliver rapid, widespread, and geographically targeted emergency alerts.
The agreement, signed by Indotel’s board president, Guido Gómez Mazara, and 911’s executive director, Colonel Pilot Randolfo Rijo Gómez, marks a significant step forward in placing the Dominican Republic at the forefront of citizen protection.
“With this agreement, we reaffirm that technology is at the service of the people,” said Gómez Mazara. “Our main goal is to ensure that, in any emergency, citizens can receive timely alerts that save lives and reduce risks.”
The new alert system is tested in time for the peak heavy reasons season. September has historically been the month when major hurricanes have hit. October and November are months when there have been intense rains and flooding.
In preparations for the peak hurricane season, the Abinader administration has installed Thales radars in Puerto Plata, the Cibao International Airport in Santiago and is advancing on the installation of another radar in the Las Americas International Airport (Santo Domingo). Together with the radar operational at the Punta Cana International Airport, the new radars offer full coverage. The radars mainly serve the aviation industry but they also feed the technicians at the Dominican Meteorology Institute (Indomet) with precise information for actions to be taken to prevent tragedies, especially in the case of rainstorms that may cause floods.
Read more in Spanish:
Presidency
Listin Diario
Presidency
El Dia
10 September 2025