When Estonia began developing a text message-based emergency notification system, it considered how to alert people to nearby threats, such as industrial accidents or major traffic collisions. Text messages can cover a small area in a matter of minutes.

However, it would take half an hour for the notification to reach all phones in Estonia, and the longer the message, the more time it takes to deliver.

"When we started the development, our risk assessment did not include likely events that would require us to notify the entire country at once," said Ministry of the Interior advisor Kadi Luht-Kallas.

The war in Ukraine brought a change and the realization that, for example, in the case of an air raid, a text message might not arrive in time. "We are looking for a way to notify people very quickly over a very large area," Luht-Kallas said.

The advantage of SMS is that it can be received by older button phones, but a disadvantage is that depending on the phone's settings, a person might not notice the message. An additional system could also solve this problem.

"It would mean that the phone would start ringing very loudly, probably with flashing lights or vibration as well," Luht-Kallas explained. "The highest level alerts could not be turned off by the person."

EU developing a satellite-based notification system

Among the emergency notification systems suitable for such conditions, the so-called cell broadcast solution is the most widely used in the world. It is supported by the majority of modern phones and can reach nearly a million users simultaneously within ten seconds.

A downside of cell broadcasting is that it uses the same network SMS notifications do. "At first glance, from a continuity perspective, we don't see it as a good idea to opt for another system that relies on the same network," said Luht-Kallas.

The European Union has also made significant progress in developing an emergency notification system based on the Galileo satellite program. Representatives from the Ministry of the Interior have observed its testing.

"It has already been documented in various guidance materials so that within the next year, countries would be able to start joining," Luht-Kallas mentioned.

The greatest advantage of a satellite-based emergency notification is that it can reach virtually everywhere, even if the receiving phone is, for example, in airplane mode. Additionally, being a pan-European solution is beneficial.

Satellite communications could only handle predefined texts

Currently, no phone has built-in capabilities to receive Galileo notifications. This means that, for now, those who wish to receive emergency alerts need to download a specific app.

The fact that the European Union is developing this solution gives hope that such an application will be included in the basic software of all phones in the future. "The European Union will likely have to put in place pan-European requirements for device manufacturers," said Luht-Kallas.

However, the biggest drawback of the Galileo solution lies in the limited amount of data resources allocated to the system. This means that if a country wants to warn its people, it must use predefined messages. There is no room for free text in these messages.

"We can't specify that an event occurred on Peterburi tee or Laagna tee," Luht-Kallas explained. "We can only make selections based on previously written codes about what the event is, what the behavioral instructions are, and what the safety level is." This is the main reason why the Ministry of the Interior is looking for an alternative solution.

Newest solution would require tall towers

According to Kadi Luht-Kallas, a potential solution could be the so-called 5G broadcast system. Sending messages through this system would require special transmitters attached to high masts.

Broadly, existing television and radio masts could be utilized, allowing the alerts to spread as far as the current television broadcast range.

The connection to television would go beyond just sharing masts. Luht-Kallas mentioned that in Europe, there is research into how to transition broadcasting to 5G technology so that it can reach smart devices via the new network.

"It would probably be most appropriate if, as broadcasting companies develop their networks, alerting capabilities were included," Luht-Kallas said.

Similar to the Galileo system, a concern with the 5G broadcast is that many phones currently cannot receive these novel notifications. However, Luht-Kallas noted that the technology is gradually being adopted by devices from Apple and Samsung.

"But whether it is available in models sold in the European Union or in the U.S. market still needs to be reviewed," Luht-Kallas stated. "We know that full functionality should be present in models from Xiaomi and OnePlus, which display the broadcasting part. In addition to text for emergency notifications, it would be possible to transmit video footage from the scene."

Ministry applying for €1.5 million to test new solutions

Luht-Kallas does not rule out the possibility that Estonia could develop a new 5G-based emergency notification network even before broadcasting companies start using this technology for transmitting their programs.

With many questions still unanswered, the Ministry of the Interior is seeking funding from the Government Office to test the potential system. The ministry wants to install transmitters on top of three high television masts to cover a large part of Estonia with the network.

During the testing phase, the ministry aims to determine how many masts would be needed to truly reach everyone. The range of coverage also depends on the type of information transmitted.

"We want to explore whether we would transmit just a siren, some written text or add pictures and maps or even video clips. In other words, we want to investigate how other media would spread through these masts," Luht-Kallas explained.

She believes that if everything goes smoothly, the first insights into the feasibility and cost of the new system could be available in a year to a year and a half. Ultimately, the operation of the system depends on whether device manufacturers embrace it.

"If there is interest and need on the broadcasters' side or for emergency notifications, it will put pressure on manufacturers," Luht-Kallas said.

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