This week, when it comes to drawing lessons from the flood disaster in the west, it is the absolute topic: The alarm system must improve. A central component: the Cell Broadcast service, which is incorrectly referred to as a warning SMS. He could come very quickly now.
The Telekom supports the introduction of an SMS warning system in Germany. “ Cell broadcast , ie the warning via SMS, must be part of the warning system. We can build the system ”. This is what Tim Höttges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom, writes on the social media platform “LinkedIn”.
Telekom will of course take part in a possible tender by the federal government. It is to be assumed, however, that there is no tender, but a direct commissioning of the currently three, in the future four network operators in Germany. Because cell broadcast only works if the cell phone is logged into the respective network.
Other network operators are already checking internally how much effort it takes to activate the cell broadcast warning functions. The primary aim is to activate the service, which is supported by the hardware, and to create interfaces to the authorities. These, in turn, must create the prerequisites for addressing the individual networks and the transmission masts in the warning regions. Telefónica Deutschland informed us that they would of course be available for a dialogue on the implementation and design of the procedure should the authorities want to use further or additional digital channels in the future, such as cell broadcasting technology. “As a network operator, we are fully supporting this in order to use all technological possibilities to protect the population and our customers.”
THIS IS HOW THE “WARNING SMS” WORKS
Cell broadcast is a cellular service for sending SMS-like messages to all cell phones within a cell or a group of cells in the respective cellular network. In contrast to an SMS, the cell phone mast does not specifically contact a cell phone whose number must be known beforehand. Rather, it works in cell broadcasting in the same way as it does in radio. All cell phones that are currently switched on and logged into the cell receive the messages. The warnings can be specifically limited to individual cities or regions. Even warnings to all cell phones near rivers would be conceivable.
The special warning system PWS (Public Warning System) within the scope of Cell Broadcast also knows different degrees of severity of the alert. It would even be conceivable that muted cell phones would also report loudly at night. Only switched off cell phones cannot be reached for understandable reasons.
There is also a rethinking on the part of politics. Previously, despite requests from the EU to the contrary , the politicians had exclusively relied on the Nina warning app . As can now be heard, however, Federal Interior Minister Seehofer also wants to introduce the service known as warning SMS. Talks with cell phone operators are expected to take place in the coming days. In the end, the most expensive part of the introduction is likely to be the payment of license costs for the service to the manufacturers of the network technology. The technology itself is largely available and all cell phones in Germany also support the technology. If there is enough political will, it could be introduced this year.
