In a significant development today, mobile users across India were part of a critical test of the nation’s revamped emergency alert system. The test, orchestrated by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of this new system.
Early this morning, countless smartphone users received a severe emergency alert, causing their devices to emit a loud beep and display a flash message reading “emergency alert: severe.” This exercise, conducted by the Department of Telecommunication (C-DOT), was carried out seamlessly between 12:00 PM and 12:44 PM IST via the Cell Broadcasting System. Importantly, the message explicitly stated that it was a test, requiring no action from recipients.
The flash message received by multiple smartphone users stated: “Emergency alert: SEVERE… This is a SAMPLE TESTING MESSAGE sent through Cell Broadcasting System by the 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. Timestamp: 15-09-2023 12:19 PM #0888758.”
This isn’t the first such test; a similar flash message was disseminated a few weeks ago. The Department of Telecommunications Cell Broadcasting System plans to conduct these tests periodically across various regions. These evaluations are designed to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of mobile operators’ emergency warning broadcast capabilities and cell broadcast systems.
Discussing the test earlier, C-DOT’s Chief Executive Officer, Rajkumar Upadhyay, shared that the technology for cell broadcast is currently sourced from a foreign vendor. However, C-DOT is actively working on developing an indigenous solution. Upadhyay noted, “The cell broadcast technology is under development and will be utilized by NDMA to send alerts directly to mobile phone screens during disasters. It is currently undergoing testing on the Jio and BSNL networks.” He further added that multiple versions of cell broadcast messages are in development to ensure seamless propagation through the telecom network.
This test marks a significant step towards enhancing India’s emergency alert system, ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens during critical situations.
