PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), will conduct test runs of the emergency cell broadcast system (ECBS) in Luzon soon as part of efforts to further improve the country’s emergency alert system. Cell broadcast service is a technology that can quickly send emergency alerts to a large number of mobile devices within a target area, making it an effective public warning system. 10639 or the Free Mobile Disaster Alerts Act, which mandates all telcos to implement free mobile alerts to the public in the event of calamities. Another difference of short message service (SMS) from CBS is the message display: SMS messages are received on a phone’s message inbox while cell broadcast alerts flash on the screen even without user interaction. Most mobile phones, however, can receive CBS alerts only when the cell broadcast feature is turned on.

Source: Manila Times March 14, 2017 17:15 UTC