Today, on October 10, 2023, the telecom department tested its emergency alert system. They sent a test message to many smartphones, including Android and iOS, across India. This wasn’t the first time; similar tests happened on July 20, August 17, and September 15.
When the test message arrived, phones made a loud beep sound and displayed an ‘Emergency alert: Extreme’ message. This happened at around 11:35 AM and included messages in both English and Hindi, sent a few minutes apart.
The Department of Telecommunications does these tests in different parts of the country to see how well they work with different mobile operators and cell broadcast systems.
Cell broadcast is a way for the government to send messages about disasters to all mobile devices in an area. It doesn’t matter if the people receiving the message are locals or tourists. It’s often used for sending emergency alerts, like severe weather warnings for things like tsunamis, floods, and earthquakes.
These phone notifications are part of a government system to alert people during emergencies, and the DoT uses cell broadcast to quickly and efficiently inform the public about possible dangers and updates.
The flash message 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: 10-10-2023 11:30 AM 11