Quebec to retest Canada's failed mobile alert system on November 28

Nov 27 2018, 11:39 pm

For the second time this year, Canada will be testing its public alert system across the country, including here in Quebec, this week.

On November 28, test alerts should appear on every updated and compatible mobile device connected to an LTE wireless network in participating provinces and territories.

The alerts will simultaneously be distributed on radio and television, according to the CRTC.

“To assist the various alerting stakeholders in ensuring that there are no outstanding issues with the system, the CRTC recently required wireless service providers to distribute all additional wireless test alerts that provincial emergency management organizations issue,” stated the CRTC in a release.

The alert messages will be identified as a test and will not require Canadians to take action.

The alert will be sent out at 2:55 pm in Quebec whereas the rest of the country will receive the alert at 1:55 pm local time.

The CRTC says that for a wireless device to receive a test alert, it must be connected to an LTE wireless network at the time the test alert is issued (LTE is commonly referred to as “4G LTE”), wireless public alerting compatible, and updated with the wireless service provider’s latest software.

If a mobile device meets these conditions and did not receive the test, you can contact your respective wireless service providers.

The National Public Alerting System (NPAS), publicly branded as Alert Ready, is a collaborative initiative between Federal-Provincial-Territorial governments and industry partners.

Examples of the types of alerts that are issued through the Alert Ready system include natural disasters like tornados and earthquakes or a civil emergency like Amber Alerts.

Depending on the service provider, phones will either sound off or buzz for eight seconds during the testing. For more information about Alert Ready and to hear the alert click here.

A test conducted in May failed for many regions across Canada due to technical issues.

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