DoT carries out tests of emergency alerts
DoT) Tuesday conducted multiple sample tests of pan-India emergency alerts powered by the Cell Broadcasting System.
«This is a SAMPLE TESTING MESSAGE sent through Cell Broadcasting System by Department of Telecommunications, 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,» read the flash alert, which was accompanied by a shrill beep on Android smartphones that kept beeping until the recipient pressed the 'OK' button. Mobile users across India have been receiving similar test alerts for the last few weeks.
The emergency alert system aims to enhance public safety and provide timely alerts during emergencies.
«The Cell Broadcast Alert System will undergo rigorous testing across the networks of various telecom operators. These tests will be conducted periodically in diverse regions throughout the country to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the emergency alert broadcasting capabilities of different telcos and cell broadcast systems,» the ministry of communications had said in a statement last month.
The system empowers the DoT and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to disseminate critical and time-sensitive disaster management messages to all mobile devices within specified geographical areas, regardless of whether the recipients are residents or visitors. This ensures that crucial emergency information reaches as many individuals as possible promptly.
Government agencies and emergency services employ cell broadcasts to keep the public informed about potential threats and to provide vital updates during critical situations.
