January 10 this year At 12:00, a test of alarm notifications on mobile phones as well as of the civil warning system will be carried out throughout Norway.
During the test on January 10, the Civil Service will test sirens with the "Important message - seek information" signal. At the same time, the police will test warnings sent to mobile phones. This means phones across the country will vibrate and play a loud beeping sound, along with sirens blaring. A similar test was conducted in June 2023.
Such alerts are sent to units located in a given geographical area.
January 10: Test of emergency notifications
Elisabeth Aarsæther, director of DSB, encourages people to talk to children, elderly people and others around them before the test, so that as many people as possible are prepared and know that it is just a test.
Update your phone
The test will be sent to all newer and updated mobile phones located in Norway and connected to the 4G/5G network. Some tablets and smart watches will also display alarm notifications.
Aarsæther reminds that many people who did not receive the recent warning did not have their phones updated. Therefore, it is especially recommended that you have a recently updated mobile phone to be able to receive the warning properly.
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The technology for receiving emergency notifications is built into most modern cell phones and only requires activation. This happens automatically after updating to newer versions of Android and iOS software.
Check which devices and software versions can receive alarm notifications on nødvarsel.no.
If you don't want to receive a warning
Turning off the sound will not help you avoid the warning. If you do not want to receive the warning, you must turn off your phone or turn on airplane mode between 11:55 a.m. and 12:15 a.m. on Wednesday, January 10.
What is the purpose of such tests?
Warnings on mobile phones will be tested simultaneously throughout the country. The aim is to familiarize the public with what the experience of receiving such an alert is like and to ensure that the system is working properly.
Sirens are tested every six months, on the second Wednesday of January and the second Wednesday of June. The aim is to detect technical faults and familiarize the public with the sound and signal.
Conducting a social survey
Director Aarsæther informs that after the tests, a representative survey will be conducted among the public to check how many people received the warning test.
The results of the social survey will be made available on dsb.no as soon as they are ready.
People wishing to provide feedback regarding the mobile phone warning test are encouraged to use the feedback form which will be posted on nødvarsel.no.
Director Aarsæther emphasizes that such warnings are sent as a radio signal and the authorities cannot check who receives them. Therefore, specific opinions from the public are useful in the process of further development of the emergency warning system.
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Source: DSB
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