The UK government has confirmed that mobile alert tests are being carried out in to make sure the public can receive official alerts via SMS in an emergency.
The tests, to ensure that the public can receive broadcast alerts from the emergency services, are initially being carried out in Glasgow, Suffolk and Yorkshire. Following this pilot, the trial will be extended across selected locations throughout the country this autumn, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude announced today.
The three tests in specific parts of Yorkshire, Suffolk and Glasgow are intended to test how "various alerting technologies" work and the public’s reaction to them.
Maude explained that the government and three mobile phone companies O2, Vodafone and EE, will conduct separate tests later this year to look at a how different technologies work.
However, he stressed that the tests are not linked to any threat or specific hazard.
"The message itself will make clear that it is only a test and I do not want the public to be alarmed in any way," Maude added. "We are also looking for help from the public in evaluating how well the tests worked and how they felt about receiving messages in this way and we would welcome the public’s views which they can provide via an online survey or a series of focus groups".
Messages will be sent to mobile phones in the test areas by SMS in parts of Suffolk and Glasgow, and by SMS and Cell Broadcasting in parts of Yorkshire. In total approximately 50,000 people across the three areas may receive the messages.
Andoid Games
No comments:
Post a Comment