FR-Alert: the government’s new population alert system

FR Alert the governments new population alert system

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    At the end of June 2022, a new public alert system will be launched by the government. In the event of natural or industrial disasters, for example, a notification will be sent to the mobile phones of everyone nearby.

    Called FR-Alert, this initiative will be used to warn in real time anyone with a mobile phone who is in a danger zone, whether it is a fire, a flood or a industrial accident.

    A notification and a sound

    FR-Alert will combine two different technologies. Cell broadcasting, ie the sending of a notification to all mobile phones, possibly accompanied by an intrusive sound, will be available this year. This message will be broadcast via the telecommunications antennas of the various operators. Note that these alerts will be displayed on the phone even if it is locked. However, they will not appear on phones that are turned off or in airplane mode. Subsequently, geolocated SMS can be sent to telephones connected to the network.

    The notifications sent will contain several types of information, concerning the nature and location of the risk, the attitude to adopt (stay at home or evacuate the area) and, if necessary, a link to obtain additional information on a website. official. Finally, the end of the alert will also be the subject of a new notification.

    A device that is becoming more and more democratized

    This service is intended to complement existing alert systems (siren, television messages, social networks, etc.) while reaching as many people as possible. It does not require registration or downloading an app. FR-Alert will be deployed nationally (mainland France and overseas) at the end of June.

    This type of alert is developing throughout the European Union, in all forms, whether cell broadcasting (Spain, Italy, Denmark, Greece), geolocated SMS (Ireland, Poland, Sweden) or even a dedicated mobile application (Germany, Finland).

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