Emergency alert test – live: Second alarm shock as investigation launched
Users ‘scared to death’ by 2.30am alert
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Your support makes all the difference.It was a patchy launch for the test of the government’s new emergency alert system, with reports of some users being woken up by the booming alarm in the early hours of Monday morning.
While the alert was scheduled to go out at 3pm on Sunday, some people said they did not receive the notification, while others reported the alert arriving early or late.
One mobile user told The Independent they had not received the alert on Sunday afternoon, but 2.30am on Monday.
Others took to social media with similar tales, with one user exclaiming: “Why have I just received a 2nd severe alert notification at 2:30 am? Nightmare!
“Scared me to death!!” they added.
Professor of telecommunications, Nigel Linge, said that it is not surprising the emergency alert did not work “perfectly”.
Speaking to Good Morning Britain, he said: “It is not unusual that a test of this type did not work perfectly. That is what you expect. I don’t think anyone in the mobile phone industry would be surprised that it wasn’t perfect.”
The Cabinet Office said it would be reviewing the outcome of the UK-wide test of the new emergency alert system.
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Emergency alert goes off minute early for some - and not at all for others
Emergency alert: Why did phone users get test at different times
Emergency alert goes off minute early for some - and not at all for others
The emergency alert test on Sunday appears not to have gone entirely smoothly, with some phone users receiving the message early and others not at all.
Millions of mobile phones across the UK were set to emit a loud alarm and vibrate in a nationwide test of a new public alert system, at 3pm.
But there are widespread reports on social media of people either receiving no alert or being sent it at 2.59pm.
David Hughes reports:
Emergency alert goes off minute early for some - and not at all for others
When is the emergency alert?
Pictured: The nation reacts as first emergency alert test goes off
A cosplayer dressed as Darth Vader and cosplayers dressed as Stormtroopers were pictured receiving the emergency alert in Scarborough today.
The nation reacts as first emergency alert test goes off
People across the UK are reacting after they received the first-ever nationwide test of the government’s new emergency alert system.
Millions of mobile phones across the UK were set to emit a loud alarm and vibrate in a nationwide test of a new public alert system, at 3pm.
But there are widespread reports on social media of people either receiving no alert or being sent it at 2.59pm.
We have rounded up some of the best, more light-hearted reactions from the British public.
Watch: Moment emergency alert test goes off at London Marathon
BBC newsreader interrupted by emergency alert
A BBC newsreader was interrupted during a live broadcast as Brits received the first-ever nationwide test of the government’s new emergency alert system.
During a live interview on BBC News, the emergency alert could be heard going off in the background.
Nation reacts to first ever emergency alert
People across the UK are reacting after they received the first-ever nationwide test of the government’s new emergency alert system.
Millions of mobile phones across the UK were set to emit a loud alarm and vibrate in a nationwide test of a new public alert system, at 3pm.
But there are widespread reports on social media of people either receiving no alert or being sent it at 2.59pm.
We have rounded up some of the best, more light-hearted reactions from the British public.
British public ‘unbothered’ by emergency alert
Millions of people around the country received an emergency alert text on their phones at 3pm today.
However, some received the text early, while others said they did not receive the text at all, and some did not seem bothered by the alert at all.
Some Britons took to Twitter to complain that they received the alert 10-12 minutes after 3pm.
Watch: Moment BBC newsreader interrupted by emergency alert live on air
Three Mobile admits some did not receive emergency alert
Telecommunication provider Three has admitted some of its users did not receive the emergency alert today.
In a statement posted on Twitter, the company said it is “working closely with the government” to understand why some did not receive the alert and to ensure it does not happen in future.
a Three spokesperson said: “We are aware that a number of customers have not received the test alert.
“We are working closely with the government to understand why and ensure it doesn’t happen when the system is in use.”
Cabinet Office to review emergency alert system after some did not receive alert
The Cabinet Office said it would be reviewing the outcome of the UK-wide test of the new emergency alert system after some Britons said they did not receive the alert today.
The department said that, while the vast majority of compatible phones received the alert, officials were aware that a “very small proportion of mobile users on some networks did not receive it”.
It said that would be looked into as part of the review of Sunday’s test.
A UK Government spokesman said: “We have effectively completed the test of the UK-wide Emergency Alerts system, the biggest public communications exercise of its kind ever done.
“We are working with mobile network operators to review the outcome and any lessons learned.”
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