Mobile users across India received an emergency alert on Tuesday morning as part of a test conducted by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The alert, accompanied by an emergency tone, was sent to Android and iPhone devices to evaluate the effectiveness of the newly implemented emergency alert system. The alerts were transmitted through the Cell Broadcasting System (CBS) and informed recipients that it was only a test and no action was required. The NDMA aims to enhance public safety and provide timely alerts during emergencies. CBS allows mobile operators to send text messages to all phones within a specified area, making it an ideal tool for disseminating emergency alerts. The tests conducted by the NDMA aim to ensure that the alert system functions smoothly and can effectively reach the populace in the event of a genuine emergency. The Department of Telecommunications Cell Broadcasting System (DoT CBS) plans to periodically conduct similar tests in various regions to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of mobile operators’ emergency warning broadcast capabilities and cell broadcast systems. Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO of C-DOT, mentioned that the technology for cell broadcast is still in the developmental phase but is being tested on the Jio and BSNL networks. C-DOT is actively developing its own version of the cell broadcast technology, which will be utilized by the NDMA to send alerts directly to mobile phone screens during disasters. The need to develop various versions of cell broadcast messages for propagation through the telecom network was also emphasized.