Relevant passages:
There are two levels of alert. The “critical” warning for imminent threat to life, like when a cyclone is about to hit, sounds an alarm and triggers a message on a phone’s home screen. These warnings are compulsory and cannot be turned off.
“Priority” alerts are issued when there is not an immediate threat to life but when people are advised to follow instructions before an approaching emergency, like a bushfire designated at the “watch and act” level. Phones can be set to opt out of priority alerts.
Prior to the national test on July 27, an alert will be sent to nine locations in June, including Majura in the ACT, Launceston in Tasmania, Port Douglas in Queensland, Liverpool in NSW, Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory, Geelong in Victoria, Goomalling in Western Australia, Port Lincoln in South Australia and Queanbeyan in NSW.
The test message will read: “This is a TEST alert of AusAlert, Australia’s new emergency warning system. NO ACTION IS REQUIRED. In an actual emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe. Visit www.ausalert.gov.au for more information. This message is authorised by the Australian Government.”
FireWire400@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Germany has been doing these or a while now, works quite good (the tests at least). It only works when your phone is connected to a cell tower, though, that£s not really a problem over here in Germany but it could be quite a big one in Australia.
I don£t think cell coverage isn’t that good in the Outback, even with Vodaphone doubling their network coverage (har har).
Zagorath@aussie.zone 3 weeks ago
One thing that’s worth noting is that you don’t need to be connected to a tower to receive the alert. You could be a Vodafone customer and get the alert if there’s only Telstra service where you are.
FireWire400@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Your phone still has to be able to connect to a tower (of any provider), no?
Ilandar@lemmy.today 3 weeks ago
Does the German one play a sound too? When I was in Korea I received alert messages but there was no associated “siren” like this.
FireWire400@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
It does play a sound at full volume. I was in a waiting room at my GP when they sent the test alerts in 2023 or so, it was quite funny hearing every phone in the room going off one by one.