Pan-India testing of indigenous cell broadcast system underway for rapid disaster alerts

CHENNAI: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in partnership with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), has commenced nationwide testing of an indigenous Cell Broadcast (CB) system designed to deliver lightning-fast disaster alerts.

According to a PIB press note the CB system, developed by C-DOT, will supplement the existing SACHET alert system, which has already disseminated over 134 billion SMS alerts in 19 languages. Unlike SMS, CB technology broadcasts messages simultaneously to all mobile devices within a defined geographic area—critical for time-sensitive emergencies like tsunamis, earthquakes, lightning strikes, or chemical hazards.

During the ongoing testing phase, citizens across all 36 States and Union Territories may receive test messages in English, Hindi, and regional languages on their mobile handsets. Recipients are advised to ignore these messages.

“The content explicitly states that this is a TEST message sent by NDMA in coordination with DoT. No action is required,” the official release confirmed.

Users may receive multiple test alerts depending on their device settings (accessible via Settings → Safety and emergency → Wireless emergency alerts → Test alerts).

Once operational, the CB system will broadcast alerts in multiple Indian languages across all handsets, irrespective of test channel settings, ensuring inclusive reach during actual emergencies. DoT has requested public cooperation during this critical validation phase.