Thailand Tests Cell Broadcast System for Emergency Alerts

PHUKET, Nov 21 (TNA) - Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) conducted a simulated test of its new cell broadcast emergency alert system in Phuket yesterday, in collaboration with three major telecommunications operators. 

The system is set to be fully operational nationwide by the middle of next year.

The trial involved sending an emergency alert message directly to mobile devices in the test area. The alert appeared as a pop-up notification on the screens of all participating devices, regardless of the network provider.

The NBTC, in partnership with the Digital Economy and Society Ministry, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, and the country’s major mobile operators, has been developing this system to enhance emergency alert capabilities and improve public safety.

“We are very satisfied with the results of the test,” said Trairat Viriyasirikul, acting secretary-general of the NBTC. 

“The telecommunications operators were able to quickly receive information from the disaster prevention department and disseminate it to residents and tourists in the affected area within a minute of receiving the alert.”

Initially, the alert system will support Android devices, but it will be expanded to include other operating systems in the future. The NBTC is confident that this system will play a crucial role in reducing casualties and property damage during emergencies such as natural disasters.

The development of the cell broadcast system was funded by the NBTC’s Research and Development Fund, with financial support provided to the three major mobile operators. -819 (TNA)