 | This article needs to be updated.(January 2025) |
The National Messaging System (NMS) is an upcoming Australian cell broadcast emergency population warning system [1] that is slated to replace the current location-targeted, SMS-based Emergency Alert system. [2] It is currently expected to be in operation by late 2024. [1]
The existing Emergency Alert Australia system, established in 2009, [3] is a location-based SMS (LB-SMS) system [4] and can also call landlines with automated alerts. [3] The system was used in the 2019-20 Black Summer Bushfires, with 492,938 landline calls and 4,194,576 text messages sent to residents in affected areas. [5]
The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements in 2020 found that emergency warning systems were effective tools for governments to use to alert citizens of threats. [1] However, it found that limitations with Emergency Alert meant it was unable to reach everyone facing an "emerging or imminent threat", and that the underlying LB-SMS technology was considered outdated.
For landlines, automated audio alerts failed to be delivered when:
Text messages failed to be delivered when:
The commission also found that the state-based nature of Emergency Alert meant that it was possible for residents living near a state's border to receive an emergency alert sent by the system from the other state, as those residents' landlines may be connected to the network of the other state. For instance, New South Wales border residents could receive an alert issued by Queensland authorities because their proximity to Queensland meant that they were connected to the telephone network in Queensland.
It was found that a review of new and emerging telephony technologies for use beyond 2023–24 to improve the issuing of emergency alerts nationwide, including for those with a disability and/or are culturally/linguistically diverse had been commissioned by the Department of Home Affairs through Emergency Management Australia. The Commission recommended that the review, funding and upgrade of Emergency Alert be considered a priority to ensure it used the best available technology to improve the way warnings are issued, and to better cater to those with a disability and culturally and linguistically diverse communities. [5]
After receiving $2.2 million in funding from the 2021 budget, [6] in August 2021, the Australian Government issued a tender for proposals from suppliers for a cell broadcast-based emergency warning system, [7] with implementation slated for January 2022, and a three-year contract starting the same year. [4]
The NMS will utilise cell broadcast technology, which allows messages to be broadcast directly from a radio cell tower to all devices in the vicinity, rather than disseminating alerts through text messages to devices in a specified location as with the current Emergency Alert system. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says the technology will allow for "near real-time", simultaneous messaging to all devices in a specified area and is unconstrained by telecommunications network congestion, a problem which arose with the current system. Messages would have a character limit of 1395 characters, and would be able to have a priority level specified that would differentiate the way messages are displayed on receiving devices. [1]
Devices receiving alerts under the new system would display an on-screen message that cannot be easily dismissed. The technology would allow for multilingual messaging, but it is not clear yet how this functionality would be utilised by the NMS and what languages messages would be offered in. Location targeting under the new system would allow an area as small as a one-kilometre radius to be defined, and would also enable messages to be sent to individual local government areas (LGAs). [8]
Short Message Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile phones exchange short text messages, typically transmitted over cellular networks.
A telephone, colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that enables two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into electronic signals that are transmitted via cables and other communication channels to another telephone which reproduces the sound to the receiving user. The term is derived from Ancient Greek: τῆλε, romanized: tēle, lit. 'far' and φωνή, together meaning distant voice.
Enhanced 911 is a system used in North America to automatically provide the caller's location to 911 dispatchers. 911 is the universal emergency telephone number in the region. In the European Union, a similar system exists known as E112 and known as eCall when called by a vehicle.
A pager, also known as a beeper or bleeper, is a wireless telecommunications device that receives and displays alphanumeric or voice messages. One-way pagers can only receive messages, while response pagers and two-way pagers can also acknowledge, reply to, and originate messages using an internal transmitter.
Text messaging, or simply texting, is the act of composing and sending electronic messages, typically consisting of alphabetic and numeric characters, between two or more users of mobile phones, tablet computers, smartwatches, desktops/laptops, or another type of compatible computer. Text messages may be sent over a cellular network or may also be sent via satellite or Internet connection.
A satellite telephone, satellite phone or satphone is a type of mobile phone that connects to other phones or the telephone network by radio link through satellites orbiting the Earth instead of terrestrial cell sites, as cellphones do. Therefore, they can work in most geographic locations on the Earth's surface, as long as open sky and the line-of-sight between the phone and the satellite are provided. Depending on the architecture of a particular system, coverage may include the entire Earth or only specific regions. Satellite phones provide similar functionality to terrestrial mobile telephones; voice calling, text messaging, and low-bandwidth Internet access are supported through most systems. The advantage of a satellite phone is that it can be used in such regions where local terrestrial communication infrastructures, such as landline and cellular networks, are not available.
A public-safety answering point (PSAP), sometimes called a public-safety access point, is a type of call center where the public's telephone calls for first responders are received and handled. It takes calls from any landline, mobile phone line, or VoIP line. It can also happen that when 112 is dialed in then a logic is implemented by mobile or network operators to route the call to the nearest police station. Such call centers exist in most countries to answer calls to an emergency telephone number. Trained telephone operators are also usually responsible for dispatching these emergency services. Most PSAPs are now capable of caller location for landline calls, and many can handle mobile phone locations as well, where the mobile phone company has a handset to location system. Some can also use voice broadcasting where outgoing voice mail can be sent to many phone numbers at once, in order to alert people to a local emergency such as a chemical spill.
A landline is a telephone connection that uses metal wires or optic fibre from the owner's premises also referred to as: POTS, Twisted pair, telephone line or public switched telephone network (PSTN).
Mobile telephony is the provision of wireless telephone services to mobile phones, distinguishing it from fixed-location telephony provided via landline phones. Traditionally, telephony specifically refers to voice communication, though the distinction has become less clear with the integration of additional features such as text messaging and data services.
The history of mobile phones covers mobile communication devices that connect wirelessly to the public switched telephone network.
An emergency population warning, or public warning system is a method where by local, regional, or national authorities can contact or notify members of the public to warn them of an impending emergency. These warnings may be necessary for a number of reasons, including:
Cell Broadcast (CB) is a method of simultaneously sending short messages to multiple mobile telephone users in a defined area. It is defined by the ETSI's GSM committee and 3GPP and is part of the 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G standards. It is also known as Short Message Service-Cell Broadcast.
A mobile phone, or cell phone, is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones. This radio frequency link connects to the switching systems of a mobile phone operator, providing access to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Modern mobile telephony relies on a cellular network architecture, which is why mobile phones are often referred to as 'cell phones' in North America.
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), formerly known as the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) and, prior to that, as the Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN), is an alerting network in the United States designed to disseminate emergency alerts to cell phones using Cell Broadcast technology. Organizations are able to disseminate and coordinate emergency alerts and warning messages through WEA and other public systems by means of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.
An emergency communication system (ECS) is any system that is organized for the primary purpose of supporting one-way and two-way communication of emergency information between both individuals and groups of individuals. These systems are commonly designed to convey information over multiple types of devices, from signal lights to text messaging to live, streaming video, forming a unified communication system intended to optimize communications during emergencies. Contrary to emergency notification systems, which generally deliver emergency information in one direction, emergency communication systems are typically capable of both initiating and receiving information between multiple parties. These systems are often made up of both input devices, sensors, and output/communication devices. Therefore, the origination of information can occur from a variety of sources and locations, from which the system will disseminate that information to one or more target audiences.
Emergency Mobile Alerts (EMA) is an alerting network in New Zealand designed to disseminate emergency alerts to mobile devices. Emergency Mobile Alerts are messages about emergencies sent by New Zealand authorised emergency agencies to capable mobile phones. The alerts are sent to participating wireless providers who will distribute the alerts to their customers with compatible devices via Cell Broadcast, a technology best suitable for public warning as it simultaneously delivers messages to all phones using a Mobile Cell tower. Similar solutions are implemented in the United States, The Netherlands (NL-Alert), European Union (EU-Alert), Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Chile, Philippines. One2many B.V. provides this modern Emergency Mobile Alert system including the Cell Broadcast systems and the CAP based centralised Public Warning management system.
Reverse 1-1-2 is a public safety communications technology used by public safety organizations throughout the world to communicate with groups of people in a defined geographic area. Reverse 1-1-2 allows authorities to rapidly warn those in danger, directly through their mobile phones.
EU-Alert is a Public Warning System designed to disseminate emergency alerts to mobile phones based on Cell Broadcast technology, as defined by ETSI standards. National authorities are able to disseminate emergency alerts and warning messages through the system. EU-Alert is a standard designed for interoprability and national implementation may vary. The standards are based on NL-Alert from the Netherlands, which first became operational in 2012.
Emergency Cell Broadcast System (ECBS) is an alert broadcast system in the Philippines, designed to disseminate emergency alerts and warnings to mobile devices via cell broadcast services (CBS)
The United Kingdom's mobile phone alert system is a public population warning system that uses Cell Broadcast technology. The warning system is intended for use in major incidents such as flooding or terror attacks. The Emergency Alert System was launched on 19 March 2023, and tested on a nationwide basis for the first time on 23 April 2023.