Emergency alert test – live: Second alarm shock as investigation launched

Millions of phones across the UK sounded with a siren on Sunday as part of a test for a new national emergency alert system.

Although the loud alarm was planned to ring at 3pm on all devices that were using 4G and 5G networks in the UK, some phone users complained that they did not receive the alert.

The alert rang for 10 seconds and displayed a message notifying phone users that no action was needed in response to the test but users from the Three network, one of the largest in the UK, questioned why they did not receive the siren.

In a statement, 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.”

Thomas Kingsley reports:

Many mobile phone users complained that they received the emergency alert at 2.59pm – startling or scaring them because it went off earlier than expected.

The Independent understands it happened because the alert had to go through different infrastructure used by mobile operators – which don’t all operate at the same speed.

A government source said they always expected it to be “around 3pm” because of the differences in the operators’ networks.

A small number of people have taken to social media to flag that they have not been able to make or receive calls since the 3pm alarm went off on their device.

The Cabinet Office stated that engineers had not spotted a trend of phone functions failing to work afterwards, but said officials were in the early stages of analysing the results of the trial run.

Millions of people across the country received the first-ever nationwide test of the government’s new emergency alert system today.

While the alert was scheduled to go out at 3pm, many mobile phone users complained that they received the alert at 2.59pm – startling or scaring them because it went off earlier than expected.

The Independent understands it happened because the alert had to go through different infrastructure used by mobile operators – which don’t all operate at the same speed.

A government source said they always expected it to be “around 3pm” because of the differences in the operators’ networks.

Meanwhile, some Britons said they received the alert after 3pm, while others did not receive it at all.

Customers on the Three mobile phone network were among those to report not receiving the communication test.

In a statement posted on Twitter, the company said it is aware a number of customers did not receive the alert, and it is working with the government to prevent this in the future.

The Cabinet Office said it would be reviewing the outcome of the UK-wide test of the new emergency alert system.

Martha McHardy reports:

A BBC newsreader was forced to contend with the government’s 10-second emergency alert test going off early mid-interview.

Text messages were sent to millions of 4G and 5G mobile phones at 3pm on Sunday, prompting an alert to appear on the screen and an alarm to sound, in a trial intended to be used to warn people of local and national risks such as flooding or terror attacks.

While millions received the alert, many did not, while others were jarred to hear the alarm sound either 10 minutes too late or slightly too early.

The latter situation appeared to befall BBC News journalist Richard Preston as he was discussing the test with the chief of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Loretta Hieber Girardet.

The presenter – who had asked Ms Girardet whether she thought the goverment had done a sufficient job of advertising the test and its purpose – gave a wry smile to viewers as he heard the alarm sound and reached down to his side as if to check whether it was emanating from his own device.

Andy Gregory reports:

The first-ever nationwide emergency alert was sent to millions of people across the country today.

However, the alert sent to people living in Wales included a language error.

For the words “others safe”, the message read “eraill yn Vogel”, despite the fact there is no letter V in the Welsh language. The message should have read “eraill yn ddiogel”.

The UK government said the mistake was down to a “technical error”.

A UK government spokesperson said: “A technical error caused one word in the Welsh language version of the emergency test alert to be misspelt.

“The fact that this occurred in a test alert will mean we can rectify it in future.”

The emergency alert “could be the sound that saves your life”, said deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden.

Speaking before the test, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden conceded the drill could be “annoying”, but that it had the potential to save people’s lives once rolled out.

He told Sky News that the trial run was a “bit like when the fire alarm goes off at work”.

“It’s a bit irritating at the time but in the future people could be grateful for it because in a real emergency, this could be the sound that saves your life,” he said.

The Cabinet minister denied the new system was an example of nanny state interference, telling the BBC he did not accept “that characterisation”.

People who do not wish to receive future alerts will be able to opt out using their device settings but officials hope the life-saving potential of the messages means users will keep them on.