New disaster emphasizes the need to have Thailand’s long-delayed system operational.
A full-scale virtual cell broadcast entity ( CBE ) mobile emergency alert system was successfully tested by telecom operators and regulators in Bangkok on Friday.
Staff from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission ( NBTC ) joined the participating operators Advanced Info Service ( AIS), True Corp, and state-owned National Telecom.
Following Apple’s most recent implementation of cell spread support in its iphone 18 for phone users in Thailand, the test demonstrated that notifications can be delivered to both Android and iOS phones.
To function, a CBE system and cell broadcast centers ( CBCs ) are necessary for the cell broadcast service to exist.
Nearly every Thai government has committed to introducing a body broadcast emergency alert system since the tsunami of 2004. The Bangkok disaster on March 28 prompted new names for the program and inquiries about why it is still in place.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation ( DDPM) is in charge of setting up the CBE system as a central command post for warnings. Additionally, it is in charge of defining the places to be notified and coordinating the creation, management, and approval of the emails ‘ information.
The department’s CBE method is still being developed.
Personal telecommunication companies are the designated CBCs that receive the task of broadcasting DDPM-approved communications through specific cell towers within the designated alert zones.
The CBC method has been installed by all three mobile operators, according to NBTC president Dr. Sarana Boonbaichaiyap.
A cell broadcast service permits the broadcast of a number of basic messages that are not widely known to all recipients in a specific area.
The system is different from SMS because it doesn’t involve specific telephone numbers, allowing for quick and effective communication of emergency information that covers the entire affected area. Additionally, no one is required to get any software.
Android smartphones running type 12 or higher and iPhones running apps 18 are both supported by the body spread support systems.
The company is not compatible with phone 10 phones or earlier versions that cannot be updated to iphone 18 and are 2G and 3G tools as properly. As a result, SMS updates are also required to address this restriction.
According to the NBTC, AIS has 900, 000 2G and 3G people, compared to 1.6 million for Real.
Three different kinds of updates
The NBTC’s acting secretary-general, Trairat Viriyasirikul, stated that warning messages will be divided into three categories: federal alerts, disaster alerts, and yellow alerts.
Warning information for earthquakes will be sent by the DDPM and the Meteorological Department, not the NBTC.
The DDPM and the NBTC should work together to direct contact the three telecommunication operators and take warning messages to the public for other types of disasters, such as floods and storms.
The test, according to Waroonthep Watcharaporn, mind of business relations at AIS, represents a major step forward in improving Thailand’s national emergency alert preparation, enabling fast communication of important information to the public.
The earthquakes in large areas of Thailand on March 28 and in Krabi on April 14 demonstrate how essential it is to have a reliable reminder system in place here, according to Chakkrit Urairat, key business affairs officer at Real.
The NBTC announced recently that it is also considering ways to connect a digital TV system with an crisis warning system.
The controller is considering whether or not to designate a new online TV channel 1 for disaster updates and alerts.