Mobile operators will need to be in sync on urgent warnings

Take note – story published 1 year ago

In the future, mobile network operators will have to ensure the sending of warning messages to Latvian residents happens at the same time, according to amendments to the Civil Defense and Disaster Management Law supported in the first reading in the Saeima on Thursday, December 22

In order for responsible institutions to be able to send early warning notices to the population at the same time, it is expected that the electronic communication companies who provide the cellphone networks will have to ensure the compatibility and interoperability of their networks with the state early warning system, the draft law states.

The amendment provides that the State Fire and Rescue Service, upon receiving information about various types of threats or disaster situations, will be able to send early notifications to the public via cellphones using a mobile operator.

It will be possible to send warnings within a few minutes, regardless of the size of the affected or threatened territory and the number of people within that territory, says the annotation of the bill.

In order to introduce cellular broadcasting in the provision of early warning notices to citizens, the bill must be passed in the Saeima in the second – final – reading.  

As previously reported by LSM, a test of emergency notification systems for cellphones carried out earlier this year by the Ministry of Defense revealed various glitches, with many people receiving messages at very different times.

Meanwhile, you miht like to check out the official crisis information booklet which is available to download for free.

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