Many users in India have received an emergency alert from the government since August. The loud message with a beeping sound reads, “This is a SAMPLE TESTING MESSAGE sent through Cell Broadcasting System by the 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 the Pan-India Emergency Alert System being implemented by the National Disaster Management Authority. It aims to enhance public safety and provide timely alerts during emergencies,” and concludes with a time stamp and the date at the end.
Now, senior journalist Sreemoy Talukdar has also disclosed that he received the notification while speaking with a telecom firm call centre representative. However, he appeared to be unaware of the purpose of the alert and asked, “May anyone tell me what this is? Has anyone received such a message in the middle of a call accompanied by a loud buzzing noise? I also received this message in Bangla. Perplexed.”
I just received this while on call with a call centre executive with a telecom company. May anyone tell me what this is? Has anyone received such a message in the middle of a call accompanied by a loud buzzing noise? I also received this message in Bangla. Perplexed. pic.twitter.com/5MtkNrvcn6
— Sreemoy Talukdar (@sreemoytalukdar) October 27, 2023
Netizens were quick to respond to his query and stated that the message was to check if the emergency alert system works. An individual mentioned that it is a “test message by the Department of Telecom to use whenever any emergency (disaster management) happens” and added that it indicated the functionality of the system.
This is a test message by Department of Telecom to use whenever any emergency (disaster management) happens.
— Abhivardhan (@IndusThink) October 27, 2023
Glad you received in your vernacular, Sreemoy ji. 🙂
This means this service works.
Another person wrote, “It is just an emergency broadcast that can come at any time an emergency is there. This particular broadcast is just a testing/trial of the same.” He pointed out that many Andriod users have received the message.
It has nothing to do with the call you were on. It is just an emergency broadcast that can come at any time an emergency is there. This particular broadcast is just a testing/trial of the same. Many people using Android have received it. I haven’t got it as I’m on iOS.
— Prithviraj Nag (@Prithviraj_Nag) October 27, 2023
“Yes, they have been testing it,” Vin Kashyap replied and conveyed that he had received a similar message about a month prior.
yes they have been testing it
— Vin Kashyap (@astik_shishya) October 27, 2023
I received it almost a month back.
A user remarked that similar alerts are a common occurrence in Western nations like Canada and highlighted, “They do interrupt the ongoing call and sound a loud buzzing noise. This may be a testing phase for the emergency alert system in India.”
These emergency alert system messages are common in Western countries (e.g. Canada where I live), they do interrupt the ongoing call and sound a loud buzzing noise. This may be a testing phase for emergency alert system in India.
— medlink (@URMISHAH7) October 27, 2023
Another commented that such broadcasts are sent during calamities or shooting instances in other countries and complimented India by noting, “My country is changing,” for adopting the same.
Abroad, they send such messages during calamity, shooters at large etc, good Bharat has started this too. Mera desh badal rahan hain.
— Tulips (@Tulipswinni) October 27, 2023
A netizen confirmed that several people received the alert. She observed, “Central Government is testing Emergency alert system.”
Yes, many people have got it in India. Central Government is testing Emergency alert system.
— Shalini Jain🇮🇳 (@Shalini250402) October 27, 2023
Reason for sending out the alert
This is not the first message of this kind to be issued. Similar tests have been carried out on a regular basis in other places, according to an announcement made by the Department of Telecommunications Cell Broadcasting System (DoT CBS). Smartphone users in India received a random sample of the emergency alerts, which resulted in a loud beep and a flash message that said “emergency alert: severe.” The message was transmitted twice in a span of a few minutes apart, in native languages including Hindi and English.
The broadcast, based on the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), is a component of an assessment to evaluate the warning system’s efficacy and spot any possible issues. Recipients were notified in the message that it was a test and no action was needed. The government is collaborating closely on the NDMA initiative, which is going to be useful in the event of earthquakes, tsunamis and flash floods, among other calamities.
Notably, mobile operators can deliver text messages to any phone in a certain area employing the CBS technology, regardless of the device’s network. It is therefore the perfect tool for sending out emergency alerts. These tests are being carried out by the NDMA to make sure the alert system is operational and capable of reaching people in the case of a true emergency. They further help the apex body in determining any shortcomings in the system.
The CEO of the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) Rajkumar Upadhyay, previously disclosed that the government-owned telecommunications technology development centre is creating its own cell broadcast technology because it is currently exclusive to international vendors.
He proclaimed, “Cell broadcast is still under development, but NDMA will use it to send alerts directly to mobile phone screens during disasters. It is currently being tested on the Jio and BSNL networks. The cell broadcast technology is under development and will be utilised by NDMA to send alerts directly to mobile phone screens during disasters. It is currently undergoing testing on the Jio and BSNL networks.” He added that different iterations of the cell broadcast messages must be created in order for them to be distributed throughout the telecom network.
Ministry of Communications in its June release asserted, “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 the country to gauge the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency alert broadcasting capabilities of the systems in place, of various Mobile Operators and Cell Broadcast Systems.”
“In a relentless commitment to ensuring the safety of the people of India and their communities, the Cell Broadcast Alert System will undergo rigorous testing across various Telecom Service Providers. These tests will be conducted periodically in diverse regions throughout the country to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the emergency alert broadcasting capabilities of different Mobile Operators and Cell Broadcast Systems,” conveyed in another notification in September.
The customers have been receiving such broadcasts past several weeks. The National Disaster Management Authority and the Ministry of Communications announced back in July that they were going to work together to test the Cell Broadcast Alert System. The ultimate goal of the effort was to protect the safety and well-being of Indian residents by improving emergency communication during times of crisis.
