March 9, 2017 2:00pm by David Farrar

Civil Defence phone alerts by year end

A nationwide system for broadcasting public text alerts about emergencies, earthquakes, and hazards to mobile phones is expected to be live by the end of the year, the Government says.

Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee said the new channel for sending alerts was on track and messages would appear similar to texts.

Broadcasting emergency alerts on cellphones will be added to a range of channels currently used to transmit information about emergencies, such as radio, social media, and television.

Mobile phones in a set area can receive emergency alerts without downloading any apps or subscribing to any services.

Basically the messages are sent through cell phone towers in a particular area. A very smart use of technology.