India Tests Real-Time Cell Broadcast Alerts

• 01 Jul 2025

On 1stJuly 2025, the Department of Telecommunications, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), began nationwide testing of a new mobile alert system to issue real-time emergency warnings.

• The new alert mechanism, called the Cell Broadcast system, aims to instantly send emergency notifications to mobile phones in specific geographic areas affected by natural disasters or critical hazards.
• Unlike traditional SMS alerts that are delivered individually, Cell Broadcast messages are transmitted to all mobile users in a particular location simultaneously, ensuring faster and wider dissemination.
• The system is being developed and implemented by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), an autonomous body under the Department of Telecommunications.
• It is designed to alert citizens about various emergencies such as tsunamis, earthquakes, lightning strikes, gas leaks, chemical spills, and other natural or man-made disasters.
• The current phase of testing will span approximately two to four weeks and is being carried out across different regions of the country to evaluate the system's effectiveness and reliability.
• People across India may receive test messages on their mobile phones during this period, and these messages will clearly indicate that they are only part of a system test and require no action.