The new system will be based on the existing infrastructure of mobile operators, which will host the notification equipment that will receive a signal from a central hub when a notification needs to be transmitted.
The delivery of the system licenses is planned for the end of this year, while comprehensive testing is planned for the first half of next year.
It is expected that notifications will be available on mobile phones operating on all mobile network generations (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G (NSA)).
The Ministry of the Interior also states: "Importantly, mobile phones will receive notifications regardless of subscription (no SIM card required) if they are within the coverage area of mobile networks, including phones of tourists, guest workers, students and other members of the public visiting Latvia. The public will be informed about compatible mobile phones when the technology is launched."
On mobile phones, early warning messages are displayed in a special format with a different sound signal and cannot be modified or forwarded to other phones. These notifications will be different from the usual text messages (SMS), emails, and social network messages as they are built in as a separate functionality.
Once the technology is introduced in Latvia, examples of notifications and additional information on how to recognize them will be published and a campaign to promote it will be organized, the Ministry said.
The total budget of the project is planned at EUR 3.2 million, of which EUR 2.7 million will be provided by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), while the remaining EUR 500,000 will come from the state.
