Many cell phones in Stockholm and Gotland counties beeped and displayed a message on the screen. It wasn’t a regular call. It was the first test of the new SE-Alert warning system.
The system sends out an alert via radio transmission from cell towers, along with a text message on the phone. The test reached approximately 2.6 miljoner phones.
The Civil Defense Agency (MCF) is behind the test. Director General Mikael Frisell says that the system is currently intended for use only in the event of serious accidents, such as industrial or nuclear accidents. In the long term, the plan is to enable regular VMA alerts to be broadcast through this system as well.
Not everyone was reached. Phones in airplane mode do not receive the alert. Older models—including iPhones prior to the 11—and phones without the latest update may miss it. Several Telia customers did not receive a signal. The company’s press officer, Roija Rafii, says that’s precisely the point of a test: to see what works.
The National Organization for Women’s and Girls’ Shelters (ROKS) warns that the alarm could reveal hidden phones belonging to victims of violence. Frisell advises turning off such a phone if it is hidden.
MCF plans to hold a discussion with Roks after the test. If you wish, you can adjust the settings to limit the alarm so that it sounds only for the highest warning levels.
