Received An ‘Emergency Alert’ On Mobile Phone? Here’s What The Notification Means

Bhubaneswar: Several Android and iOS users across Odisha on Wednesday received an “Emergency Alert” sent by the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) of the Indian government, as part of a test of the country’s new emergency alert system, which is being deployed by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

The alert flashed on the mobile phone with a message accompanied by a loud alarm which kept beeping till the user pressed OK.  It also included a timestamp indicating when it was received.

What the alert text said

“This is a SAMPLE TESTING MESSAGE sent through Cell Broadcasting System by 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: 25-10-2023 12:13 AM 11.”

The message, labelled as “Emergency alert: Extreme”, was delivered in both English and Odia.

Why the message?

The DoT, in collaboration with National Disaster Management Authority, has been conducting the Cell Broadcast Alert System (CBS) testing to enhance emergency communication during disasters. This initiative was launched by the government in July, and similar tests broadcast were conducted on October 10 and September 15.

According to reports, CBS allows mobile operators to send text messages to all phones in a specific area, regardless of the mobile network that the phone is on, making it an ideal technology for sending emergency alerts. This system guarantees widespread and timely dissemination of crucial emergency information. The NDMA is conducting these tests to ensure that the alert system is working properly and also to identify any areas where it needs to be improved.

DoT statement on the alert

“In our continuous commitment to the safety of citizens of India and the communities, tests of Cell Broadcast Alert System are being conducted on each Telecom Service Provider. These tests will be performed from time to time in various regions across country to gauge the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency alert broadcasting capabilities of the systems in place, of various Mobile Operators and Cell Broadcast System,” a government statement released by the Ministry of Communications in July this year said.

C-DOT’s CEO Rajkumar Upadhyay earlier told the PTI that the cell broadcast is currently being tested on the Jio and BSNL networks. “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.”

During the testing period, each test alert is clearly labeled as a “SAMPLE TESTING MESSAGE” to avoid confusion.