The case of a shrill emergency alert and a legal battle on vendor pick
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: The shrill emergency alerts that lit up millions of phones across India on Saturday brings the spotlight on an ongoing legal battle on the award of this critical public safety network project.Germany-headquartered Utimaco Technologies has alleged irregularities in government’s selection of the implementation agency for the cell broadcast system to roll out a nationwide disaster alert mechanism, according to people in the know and a copy of the company's petition seen by Mint.A case on the matter has been pending before the Delhi high court since 2024, with the next hearing slated for 11 May 2026.Utimaco, which owns Israel-based emergency alert solution provider Celltick, said India's decision to assign the project to the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) lacked fairness and transparency. Citing the absence of an open tender, the petition said the move violated the principle of natural justice and fair competition.C-DOT is a research and development wing of the department of telecommunications (DoT).
Cell broadcasting is a global standard for quickly sending alerts via mobile phones, reaching large groups in 8–12 seconds. It supports text and multimedia messages and is widely used during disasters.“This case has been heard since October 2024.
We decided to go to court when the telecom department asked telcos to use only C-DOT technology for cell broadcast,” Ronen Daniel, head of warning solutions at Utimaco Technologies, told Mint on phone. “This, despite our technology being tested for over three years and the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) being satisfied with our solutions, while raising red flags over C-DOT tech.”“We are disappointed with the
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