DoT tests mobile disaster alert system, urges public to ignore trial messages

India’s Department of Telecommunications and the NDMA are testing a nationwide mobile disaster alert system and telling the public to ignore any trial messages it receives.

The official press release says pan-India testing of the indigenous cell broadcast system is underway. The alert messages may appear in English, Hindi and regional languages, and recipients are instructed to take no action.

The system is designed to send rapid warnings during disasters and emergencies. Officials say it was developed by C-DOT and is being tested before formal inauguration.

Follow-up coverage from PTI and ET Telecom repeated the same guidance, saying the trial is continuing across the country.

The rollout matters because cell broadcast alerts can reach many phones at once, even without mobile data or a specific app. For now, the key message from officials is simple: if a test alert appears on your phone, ignore it.