Emergency Alert Messages in Cell Phones | 28 Sep 2024

Source: BS 

Recently, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) mandated that all feature phones in India must support auto-readout of emergency messages in Hindi and English. This order has raised concern among mobile manufacturers. 

• Feature phones provide more features than basic cell phones but are not as advanced as smartphones. 
• Key Provision of DoT Order: 
  • All phones sold in India must support auto-readout of emergency messages in Hindi and English, with manufacturers required to add support for four additional Indian languages each year until full language support is achieved. 
  • Alert signals (sound, vibration, light) must last for 30 seconds under standard conditions and 15 seconds for auto-read messages or until the user acknowledges them. 
• Concerns of Phone Manufacturers: 
  • Feature phones lack sufficient memory for text-to-audio conversion. 
  • New requirements will increase production costs. 
  • Redesigning phones will affect production timelines. 
  • Smaller Indian brands may face challenges in complying with Indian Wireless Telegraphy (Cell Broadcasting Service for Disaster Alerts) Act, 2023, risking their market position. 
    • The Act mandates that no smartphone or feature phone can be manufactured or sold in India without cell broadcast capabilities.  

Read More: Emergency Alert System