User:AlaskaPark/FR-Alert

FR-Alert is a cellular broadcast alarm system used by the French government to quickly alert and inform citizens of dangerous or crisis situations (natural disaster, biological, chemical or industrial accident, terrorist act,...).

With this system, authorities can send messages to cell phone users in specific areas using cell phone towers to alert phones in their range. Receiving the messages does not require any special installation on the cell phones.

FR-Alert has been implemented according to the European legislation EU-Alert as defined by the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) using cellular broadcast technology for the broadcast of warning messages to the general public. It is operational since June 21, 2022.

Technology used
The alert messages are sent as radio waves (cellular broadcast or Cell-Broadcast) by 4G telecommunication antennas and not by SMS in order to avoid saturating the operators' networks. The user present within a radius of 5 km is warned by a specific sound signal, even if the phone is in silent mode. The broadcasting of the cellular message can be completed by sending geolocated SMS using 2G or 3G technology, but this may take longer.

Use of the Service
The launch of an alert message depends on the Prime Minister or the prefects, but the mayors can also ask for the launch of FR-Alert in case of a local disaster to warn and protect the population.

Several tests have been carried out since June 2022, with the message sent with the mention "exercise".

It was tested in October 2022 in the Vaucluse during a flooding exercise.