The Indian government conducted a trial of its emergency alert system in India today. The alert was exclusively sent to Airtel users using both Android and iOS devices.
As part of its ongoing testing efforts, the Indian government sent an emergency alert message to mobile phone users, including those with iPhones and Android devices, in the Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region). A notification with the text “Emergency Alert” and a loud sound appeared on the home screens of Airtel users in the area.
The alert message in English stated, “This is a SAMPLE TESTING MESSAGE sent through the 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 the test 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.” A similar notification in Hindi was also sent to Airtel’s Android and iOS users in the region.
After Airtel users received the alert, Vodafone Idea (Vi) and Jio users across the country also received the same notification with the distinctive sound.
It’s important to note that this is not the first time that mobile phone users in India have received such alert notifications. Prior to today’s tests, the Indian government conducted similar trials with Airtel users last month and with Jio users back in August this year. You can find details about previous notifications here.
Why should you remain calm? There is no need for mobile phone users to be alarmed or take any action at this point. The Indian government is currently conducting tests to assess the effectiveness of this system. If successful, it can be used to deploy an Emergency Alert System nationwide, allowing the government to send emergency messages in the event of natural disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes, heavy rainfall, landslides, and floods. These messages will be able to bypass device settings and other limitations that might otherwise prevent them from reaching the general public.
