Govt tests nationwide emergency alert system, triggers pop-up message on phones

Millions of phones across India buzzed during a government trial of a mobile disaster alert system. The exercise is part of efforts by the DoT and NDMA to improve timely geo-targeted emergency communication.

In Short

• Citizens were told in advance to ignore any test messages received
• The trial was conducted to strengthen disaster communication for timely alerts
• DoT and NDMA are jointly working on the mobile alert network

Millions of mobile phones across India buzzed for several seconds on Saturday, as part of a government trial of a mobile-based disaster alert system. The government had on Wednesday advised citizens to ignore the test messages they might receive.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), is actively enhancing mobile-based disaster communication systems across the country to ensure the timely dissemination of critical information to its citizens.

The system is based on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) as recommended by the UN body International Telecommunication Union. It is currently operational across all 36 States and Union Territories of India and delivers disaster and emergency-related alerts via SMS to mobile users within geo-targeted areas.

Cell Broadcast (CB) technology has been introduced, alongside SMS, in which alerts are transmitted to all mobile devices within a defined geographic area simultaneously, ensuring near real-time delivery of the alerts.

"As part of the pan-India rollout and the launch of the Cell Broadcast (CB) facility, nationwide testing and trials are currently being conducted to assess the system's performance and reliability prior to its formal inauguration and dedication to the nation. During this period, members of the public may receive test messages in English, Hindi and regional languages on their mobile devices," the statement said.

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