As the cellphone has become ubiquitous, Alcatel-Lucent’s new Broadcast Message Center (BMC) will allow the telco to support government agencies in providing citizens with emergency information ranging from terrorist attack information to inclement weather news. The Alcatel-Lucent system provides an interface with the service provider’s intelligent networks and allows millions of subscribers to be notified in a matter of seconds.
“With more than 70 percent of the world population having access to mobile phones, they are the perfect device in an emergency for notifying a maximum number of people in a minimum amount of time,” said Scott Ellison, VP of mobile and consumer-connected platforms at International Data Corp., a telecommunications information provider. “Leveraging cell broadcast technology, Alcatel-Lucent Broadcast Message Center solution bypasses network congestion that typically accompanies emergencies to immediately deliver warnings of dangers when seconds count and the public’s safety is at risk.”
The BMC system allows service providers to send emergency information to cell phone users much in the same manner as the Emergency Alert System used by broadcasters, with targeting in a specific geographic region possible.
“With the public increasingly relying on cell phones, it becomes mission critical for service providers to be able to share critical, time-sensitive information over these devices during times of crisis,” said Morgan Wright, VP of Global Mission Critical Communication Solutions for Alcatel-Lucent. “The Broadcast Message Center enables service providers to do this so that its subscribers can be warned and informed during emergencies.”
With the BMC, targeted messages can be sent alerting subscribers to such things as wildfire, tsunamis, tornados and other natural dangers. The system may also be used to alert students and faculty about campus emergencies. And as with EAS, BMC could also be used to provide Amber Alerts and information on chemical spills, gas leaks, bomb threats and other news that could impact on their personal safety and daily routines.
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