About Cell Broadcast System:
- It is a telecom-enabled public warning system that enables authorities to broadcast simultaneous, geo-targeted alerts to mobile devices within a defined area.
- It is indigenous technology developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
- Features of Cell Broadcast System:
- It uses common messaging protocols that have been incorporated by all the major handset makers around the world.
- Unlike SMS alerts, CB messages are broadcast to all mobile phones in a specific area, ensuring rapid delivery even in congested networks.
- Messages are delivered in near real-time, reaching users within seconds without any queuing delays.
- It offers precise geo-targeting capabilities, enabling alerts to be disseminated at the level of individual cell towers or clusters.
- It provides universal reach by covering all mobile users within the targeted area, including those who are roaming.
- Supported across 2G to 5G networks, it ensures wide reach in both urban and rural areas, including last-mile and roaming populations.
- These alerts are delivered as priority notifications, appearing as pop-up messages accompanied by distinct loud tones, with text message with multilingual alerts read aloud on supported mobile handsets.
