The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) conducted a test of its emergency alert system across India today, October 10, 2023, marking not the first, but one of several tests, with previous ones occurring on July 20, August 17, and September 15.

What Happened? At approximately 11:35 am, numerous smartphones, spanning Android and iOS devices, emitted a loud beep and showcased a message labelled ‘Emergency alert: Extreme' in both English and Hindi, dispatched minutes apart.

This testing process, executed in various regions of the country, allows the DoT to evaluate the effectiveness of the alerts with diverse mobile operators and cell broadcast systems.

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What’s it for? The government uses the cell broadcast mechanism to send messages about potential disasters to all mobile devices in a specific area, whether the recipients are residents or visitors. It commonly facilitates the transmission of emergency alerts, providing warnings about severe weather conditions and natural disasters such as tsunamis, floods, and earthquakes.

The notifications, part of a governmental system designed to alert citizens during emergencies, utilize cell broadcast technology to rapidly and efficiently update the public about potential threats and developments.

The test message, which requested no action from recipients, aimed to validate the Pan-India Emergency Alert System, overseen by the National Disaster Management Authority, and enhance public safety by ensuring timely alerts during crises.

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