Working out the hiccups
P. E. I.’ s Emergency Measures Organization issues test alert that not everyone receives
P. E. I.’ s Emergency Measures Organization ( EMO) issued an emergency alert for wireless customers on Wednesday that was purely a test. Problem was, not everyone with a cellphone received the alert.
“We knew in advance there was going to be lots of questions around the system,’’ said Tanya Mullally, co- ordinator for the EMO office in Charlottetown. “We’ve been doing these alerts over TV and radio for the past three years, so the feature of the wireless is new.’’
The Canadian Radio- television and Telecommunications Commission ( CRTC) only mandated carriers to distribute alerts a year ago, so manufacturers need to produce phones that are capable of receiving the alerts.
“So, only new devices manufactured within the past year would have the capability to receive the alert,’’ she said. “As new phones are manufactured they will now be required to carry the updated capability. “Individuals who do not upgrade their phones will continue to not receive the messages until they update their wireless devices to compatible ones or the manufacturers do significant software updates.’’
Mullally said if people think they should have received an alert and didn’t, they should check the compatibility of their device by going to www. alertready. ca where people can check by selecting a carrier and looking at a list of compatible devices that are offered. Mullally also noted that people need to be connected to the LTE or 4G network.
“We have had some reports of phones connected to 4G that worked and others didn’t.’’
And, there is no data requirement to receive these alerts. The alerts are issued using cellular broadcast.
Mullally said there were some interesting cases on Wednesday when it comes to those who received the emergency alert and those who didn’t. In the case of one husband and wife, both with the same carrier and both with the same phone, only one of them received the alert.
She was also talking to a tourist from New Mexico who is in Charlottetown who did get the alert.