CRTC says wireless companies must be able to send emergency alerts
Canada’s telecom regulator says all wireless service providers must be able to send emergency alerts to customers’ cellphones, and has set a deadline for it to happen.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has ordered that by April, 6, 2018, everyone on an LTE network must be able to receive the same public alerts now broadcast on radio and TV.
The types of events for alerts include natural disasters like fires or floods, or Amber Alerts about abducted children.
“We know that more and more Canadians rely mostly on their cellphones. You carry your cellphone, not necessarily your TV or even your radio,” CRTC spokeswoman Patricia Valladao said in an interview.