Emergency Alert by Department of Telecommunication, Government of India.
The ‘Cell Broadcast Alert System’ aims to provide real-time disaster alerts to
citizens for scenarios like tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, and more.
Several Android and iOS users once again received an “Emergency Alert” sent by
the department of telecommunication (DoT) of the Indian government, as part of
their efforts to enhance emergency communication during disasters. This
initiative was launched by the government in July, and a similar test broadcast
was conducted just last month on September 15.
The message, initially labelled as “Emergency alert: Extreme”, was delivered in
both English, Hindi and gujarati.
The message, initially labelled as “Emergency alert: Extreme”, was delivered in
both English and Hindi. It conveyed the following: “This is a SAMPLE TESTING
MESSAGE sent through Cell Broadcasting System by Department of
Telecommunication, Government of India. Please ignore this message as no action
is required from your end. This message has been sent to test Pan-India
Emergency Alert System being implemented by National Disaster Management
Authority. It aims to enhance public safety and provide timely alerts during
emergencies.”
The message also included a timestamp indicating when it was received and was
sent to a variety of devices, including smartwatches. In the case of the Apple
Watch Ultra, a text message was accompanied by a strong audible alert and
vibration. While some users received the alert with a loud sound and vibration,
individuals who had set their phones to silent did not receive the message with
an audible sound or vibration. Nevertheless, the system has been designed to
override the silent mode on smartphones to ensure that the user is alerted.
Why the messages?
The department of telecommunications (DoT), in collaboration with the National
Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), has announced the implementation of the
“Cell Broadcast Alert System”. This system aims to deliver real-time alerts to
citizens during disaster scenarios such as tsunamis, flash floods, earthquakes,
landslides, and more. The government initiated this effort to enhance public
safety in emergency situations. A government statement released by the ministry
of communications in July this year said, “In our continuous commitment to the
safety of citizens of India and the communities, tests of Cell Broadcast Alert
System are being conducted on each Telecom Service Provider. These tests will be
performed from time to time in various regions across country to gauge the
efficiency and effectiveness of emergency alert broadcasting capabilities of the
systems in place, of various Mobile Operators and Cell Broadcast System.”
About the alert system
According to the ministry's statement, the Cell Broadcast Alert System is a
cutting-edge technology enabling the transmission of urgent and time-sensitive
disaster management messages to all mobile devices within a specified
geographical area, regardless of whether the recipients are residents or
visitors. This system guarantees the widespread and timely dissemination of
crucial emergency information. Government agencies and emergency services
utilise it to apprise the public of potential threats and to keep them informed
during critical situations. Cell Broadcast is frequently employed for the
delivery of emergency alerts, including severe weather warnings, public safety
messages, evacuation instructions, and other vital updates, the statement
further said. Throughout the testing phase, individuals will receive simulated
emergency alerts on their mobile devices. The ministry has previously assured
that these test alerts “do not indicate an actual emergency” and will be clearly
labelled as a “SAMPLE TESTING MESSAGE” to prevent any confusion.
