The next warning day is set to take place on December 8 after failing altogether in 2021. For the first time, a warning message is to be sent directly to the cell phone.
After a long back and forth, the interior ministers of the federal and state governments decided that the official nationwide warning day 2022 should take place on December 8th. September 8 was originally intended for this after the joint day of action had been canceled in 2021 due to non-functional technology. For this purpose, the Cell Broadcast warning channel, which was newly introduced in Germany, is to be tested for the first time this year.
The aim of the warning day is to inform people in Germany about the different warning devices in dangerous situations and thus to draw more attention to civil protection as a whole. The fact that there is a lot of catching up to do here was not least evident during the tragic flood disaster in the Ahr valley. At 11 a.m., the authorities and emergency services involved in the districts, cities and municipalities should activate their sirens & Co. at the same time in an exercise.
Cell broadcast in preparation
The state is currently working together with the mobile network operators “at full speed on the introduction” of cell broadcast, explained the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The planned mobile phone warning message will then appear on all end devices “that are logged into a mobile phone cell and have the ability to receive cell broadcast messages”. There are still a few hurdles to be overcome in Germany when it comes to sending targeted information directly to cell phones.
At the beginning of September 2021, the Bundestag had already decided to amend the law with which the new system is to be introduced nationwide. Operators of public mobile networks must therefore in future provide technical facilities for “warning of impending or spreading major emergencies and disasters”.
How cell broadcast works
With cell broadcast – as with SMS – the signaling channels of the mobile network are used to transmit messages. Individual addressing is not necessary. Warning messages are sent by the antenna like a radio signal to all devices logged into the radio cell and received by them. The interfaces for this should actually be ready by the end of June, but the local legal requirements are complex.
“While people can use the test phase to familiarize themselves with the new warning channel, we will continue to use the feedback and the live conclusions from it to coordinate the interfaces involved as best as possible,” assured Ralph Tiesler, President of the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance ( BBK) This will make it possible to make technical adjustments and optimizations in such a way that Cell Broadcast can start operating at the end of February 2023 and supplement the existing warning devices such as the Nina warning app, radio, television or digital advertising boards.
On the first nationwide warning day on September 10, 2020, some things didn’t work. The message from the warning apps Nina and Katwarn only arrived on the mobile phones of the users a good half hour late. Many sirens had been removed years ago and some are only to be reinstalled.
