- By Prateek Levi
- Sat, 28 Jun 2025 04:43 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
On Saturday, smartphone users across India were surprised by a sudden emergency alert popping up on their screens. The Department of Telecom (DoT) issued a test notification as part of a countrywide trial of its emergency communication system.
The message, marked with the date 28/06/2025 #900, read: "Test Alert, It is a 'test cell broadcast' message and requires no action from the recipient."
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This trial notice is just part of a continuous process to assess and enhance the government's Cell Broadcast Alert System, crafted by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT). What they aim to do is to make sure that, in the event of a real emergency, warnings can be communicated effectively and promptly to individuals throughout struck areas.
What Is the Cell Broadcast Alert System?
This system is set up to automatically forward critical information in real-time during disastrous events like earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, and so forth. Unlike typical SMS messages, which are sent one by one and can clog mobile networks, cell broadcasts inform all the mobile phones in a given area at once without generating network traffic.
The notifications are dispatched by approved government and emergency departments, giving them the ability to disseminate important updates or directions—such as evacuation orders or safety protocols—in real time. It's an essential application in disaster control and general safety, particularly when seconds count.
How to Disable Test Alerts
Should you not want to receive future test alerts, below are the ways to disable them:
- For Android users: Settings > Security & emergency > Wireless emergency alerts, and switch off Test alerts.
- For iOS users: Settings > Notifications, scroll down, and switch off Test alerts.
Remember, these steps only impact test messages. If there is an actual emergency, receiving alerts may save lives.
The test could have come as a surprise to users, but it's a step in a larger campaign to develop a more responsive and resilient emergency communication system. With technology such as this in the system, authorities hope that critical information will be delivered to individuals quickly when the stakes are highest.
