If You Receive a Text Saying “TEST Cell Broadcast Message Sent by the National Disaster Management,” Don’t Panic; DoT Is Testing Emergency Alert System
New Delhi, June 30, 2025: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), is conducting nationwide testing of an indigenous Cell Broadcasting (CB) system to ensure rapid and efficient dissemination of emergency alerts during natural and man-made disasters.
Pan-India Testing Underway for Disaster Alert System
As part of the Pan-India rollout, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT)—the premier R&D arm of DoT—has developed the Cell Broadcast-based public emergency alerting system, which is now undergoing rigorous testing. The trials, spanning 2-4 weeks, will validate the system’s functionality across all 36 States and Union Territories (UTs).
During this phase, test messages in English and Hindi may appear on mobile phones with CB test channels enabled. Recipients may receive these messages multiple times, but no action is required as this is part of the system validation process.
The content of the test message will be as follows:
English:
This is a TEST Cell Broadcast message sent by the National Disaster Management
Authority in coordination with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, as part of testing the Cell Broadcast solution for disseminating alerts. During the testing of the Cell Broadcast solution, you may receive this message multiple times on your mobile handset. Please ignore these message(s); no action is required at your end.
Hindi:
यह एक टेस्ट सेल ब्रॉडकास्ट संदेश है, जिसे राष्ट्रीय आपदा प्रबंधन प्राधिकरण (NDMA) ने दूरसंचार विभाग (DoT), भारत सरकार के साथ मिलकर सेल ब्रॉडकास्ट समाधान के परीक्षण के तहत भेजा है। परीक्षण के दौरान आपको यह संदेश अपने मोबाइल पर कई बार प्राप्त हो सकता है। कृपया इन संदेशों को अनदेखा करें, आपकी ओर से कोई कार्रवाई करने की आवश्यकता नहीं है।
How the Cell Broadcast System Works
Unlike traditional SMS alerts, Cell Broadcasting sends alerts in real-time to all mobile devices in a geo-targeted area, ensuring near-instantaneous delivery during emergencies. This system will complement the existing Integrated Alert System (SACHET), which has already issued over 6,899 crore SMS alerts in 19+ Indian languages for disasters, cyclones, and weather warnings.
Key Features of the New Alert System
- Multi-language support for wider accessibility
- Real-time broadcast to all mobile users in affected zones
- No dependency on internet or SIM registration
- Compatibility with all mobile handsets post-testing
Public Cooperation Requested
The DoT has urged citizens to ignore test messages during this phase, emphasizing that no response is needed. Once operational, the CB system will enhance India’s disaster response capabilities, ensuring timely warnings for events like tsunamis, earthquakes, gas leaks, and chemical hazards.
Future Implementation
Post-testing, the indigenous Cell Broadcasting system will be fully integrated into India’s disaster management framework, enabling multi-lingual alerts to reach every mobile user—regardless of handset settings—during actual emergencies.
