Japan mobiles to receive email warning terror alerts and more

Ever since the Tsunami and Nuclear Disaster that struck Japan in 2011, the authorities have been actively carrying out mock tweet-evacuation-drills and sending alerts to citizens using modern day technology. From April 1st, the Japanese Fire and Disaster Management Agency will be implementing a new system that will automatically send out email alerts to mobile phones, regarding any ballistic missile launches, terror attacks and other eventualities.

The system is so designed that no prior registration is required. The emergency emails will make their way to those specific mobile phones that belong to the disaster-struck area. Customers of the three main carriers, NTT Docomo Inc., KDDI Corp. and Softbank Mobile Corp. are covered under the scheme.

The new system is an upgrade from the traditional method followed by the local municipalities over the years. Apparently, an emergency situation is typically relayed via the J-Alert early warning system, which is then broadcasted using the radio, hooked to the community loudspeakers.

Using this model, an email distribution system for earthquakes has already been formulated. To keep it distinctive, the alarms accompanying the two emails (one for terror disasters and the other for earthquakes) will be radically different. Hopefully the new warning system will never be implemented and peace prevails.

SOURCE: Jiji