The mobile phone warns of disasters as a test:
If your smartphone sounds a siren on Saturday, there is no need to worry: it is a test alarm. After a test phase lasting several weeks, the “AT-Alert” warning system is now going into operation. The service is intended to warn the population of catastrophic events via cell phones and smartphones. The alarm is triggered automatically; an app is not necessary. It will be loud on Saturday: In addition to the annual siren test, cell phones will also be blaring loudly.
This is also a test alarm to see how well the new system works. The alarm is automatic, you don’t have to register anywhere, explained the Forum for Mobile Communications (FMK). Warnings will be received by all cell phones that are not very old. The “AT-Alert” test run will be noticeable in two ways on mobile phones: A text message will appear on the screen: “Attention test – Austria-wide test activation of civil protection signals via sirens and test activation of AT-Alert.”
The mobile phone will also emit a loud acoustic signal as a warning tone.In addition to the practice and test warning, there are four other warning levels. At the highest alert level, the audible alarm cannot be silenced. It is also not visible in the phone’s settings menu. It is activated by default on all phones and cannot be deactivated. Older phones that can only receive 2G will only receive the highest alert level. The warnings are “cell broadcasts,” a standalone technology for message transmission.
Text messages are sent to cell phones that are logged into the affected area. The message appears directly on the screen, regardless of how the device is configured. However, the forum recommends that you make sure that all warnings are allowed in the settings under the “Emergency Alerts” menu. If you have an old keypad phone, you should check the “Cell Broadcast” menu item to see whether the device supports “Cell Broadcasts”. Older phones in particular sometimes do not. Phones that support “Cell Broadcasts” will then receive at least the highest alarm level.
The alarms are sent out locally. You receive all warnings for the region you are in. This means that, for example, someone who lives in town A but works in town B will receive the warning for town B, but not for his or her place of residence, and vice versa. The purpose of “AT-Alert” is to only warn people who are directly affected by a dangerous situation. Guests in Austria – such as tourists – will also receive the warning. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the message will be sent in German and English.
Possible warnings relate to dangers such as extreme weather events, natural disasters, impending floods and forest fires. Due to the way it works, “AT-Alert” guarantees complete anonymity, according to the Interior Ministry. No personal data is requested or used. “AT-Alert” has already proven its worth during the severe weather events in mid-September.
15 warnings were sent out by the heavily affected federal states of Styria, Burgenland and Lower Austria, according to the Interior Ministry. The first test phase also went smoothly. When the new system goes into operation, the old warning system “Katwarn” and its associated app will be discontinued.