Austria to Introduce Cell Broadcast After Successful Tests

Austria is introducing an official alert system called AT-Alert that sends emergency alerts to cell phones via text.

After successful tests, a nationwide test is set for October 5. The system, delayed since 2019, uses cell broadcast technology to send free disaster warnings to all compatible phones in a specific area. It supplements civil defence sirens to reach more people, though some phones may need updates to receive alerts.

AT-Alert has ten senders, including the Ministry of the Interior. Messages are text-only to avoid network overload and are repeated to ensure delivery.

Commercial use is not planned.