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From what I've heard (could be wrong) the government literally just said to all the networks 'send this to everyone' and let the individual networks handle it.
by benbristow 7y ago
From what I've heard (could be wrong) the government literally just said to all the networks 'send this to everyone' and let the individual networks handle it.
Apparently they could've set up a system like in Japan where your phone gets emergency alerts (which I actually experienced when I visited on vacation a few years ago on my iPhone from the UK) and are handled specifically by the mobile operating system but the government were too cheap to set it up.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/23/government-ignored-advice-set-up-uk-emergency-alert-system https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/23/government-ign...
- frutiger 7y agoSimilar to Japan, the US has https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/wireless-emergency-alerts-wea https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/wireless-emergency-aler....
- saluki 7y agoWe were in Target one night and a flash flood warning came through on everyone's phone, felt like a movie hearing the alerts cascade across everyones phones and see everyone stopping and viewing the alert.
- Symbiote 7y agoI think this is just GSM Cell Broadcast [1]. It seems strange that it would be complicated or expensive to set up. I've used cheap, aimed-at-tourist SIMs in developing countries where cell broadcast was used to send news and adverts, which is very annoying. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_Broadcast https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_Broadcast
- londons_explore 7y agoSome networks don't have GSM cell broadcast set up.
- benbristow 7y agoWhich countries where they? That does sound annoying. Does it happen with standard network SIM cards?
- reaperducer 7y agoIt's happened to me in the Czech Republic. Foreign SIM crosses the border? Here comes a flood of SMS spam!
- Symbiote 7y agoI don't know if it happens to everyone, or if I chose the worst network provider from the booths at the airport. I can't really remember the country, it was years / 20 countries ago. Possibly Vietnam.
- ChrisArchitect 7y agoya this has rapidly the last few years become the standard in Canada. I think the government mandated all the major providers enable it/support it and they did some tests and people initially freaked out (phone alerts at odd hours alarmed people) but then 'for the greater good' people got used to it (and learning to use volume and DND settings). Main use is timely emergency alerts for missing children. Used to be done across television and radio (still is I suppose, not sure, less people have cable television and who's got the radio on). Proven effective on a number of occasions too. And especially in recent coronavirus times it's been used to send more general notices for the first time insisting people stay home/self-isolate and warning travellers returning home from abroad to quarantine for 14 days.