Govt launches indigenous Cell Broadcast System for instant disaster alerts

New Delhi, May 2: Mobile users across India on Saturday received a loud “Extremely Severe Alert” notification as part of a government test of a new emergency warning system designed to deliver real-time alerts during disasters and public safety incidents.

Officials said the alert was only a trial message and required no action, but it demonstrated how authorities plan to quickly warn citizens in situations such as earthquakes, floods, cyclones, lightning strikes, gas leaks, and other emergencies. The notification was accompanied by a sharp alarm sound and appeared prominently on screens, even when phones were on silent mode.

The system operates using Cell Broadcast technology, which differs from conventional SMS. Instead of sending messages individually, telecom towers transmit alerts simultaneously to all compatible devices within a specific geographic area, enabling faster and wider reach during critical situations.

Authorities noted that alerts can be received even on phones without an active SIM card. Smartphones are equipped with built-in communication hardware, including modems, antennas, and radio components, which allow them to detect nearby cellular networks. While SIM cards provide user identity and access to regular services like calls and data, they are not required for receiving broadcast alerts.

Even without a SIM, devices can connect to cellular signals in a limited capacity, often displaying “Emergency calls only.” Since Cell Broadcast functions like a radio transmission rather than a personal message, any compatible phone switched on and within network coverage can receive such alerts.

This explains why inactive or secondary devices may also display emergency warnings, provided they support the broadcast standard and have their cellular radio enabled.

Officials added that not all users may have received the test alert due to phased rollout across regions and networks. Other factors include device compatibility, disabled alert settings, weak signal conditions, or phones being switched off, in airplane mode, or disconnected from mobile networks. Software limitations and network delays may have also affected delivery in some cases. (Agencies)