Canadians in every province and territory will receive another alert on Wednesday, Nov. 28, as provincial and territorial emergency management organizations conduct their second test of Canada’s emergency alerting system.
The test messages will be distributed through Alert Ready, Canada’s emergency alerting system.
Each province and territory will issue one test message to be distributed over television, radio and to compatible wireless devices at 1:55 PM local time, with the exception of Quebec, where the test will occur at 2:55 PM local time, officials said.
The Alert Ready system allows authorities to deliver emergency alerts to Canadians during life-threatening situations – natural disasters, civil emergencies or terrorist threats – over television and radio broadcasts, and messages sent to compatible wireless devices.
(Source: Alert Ready Canada)
However, Robert Ghiz, president and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), says it’s important to know that not all Canadians will receive the test alert on their smartphones or tablets.
“Everything from device compatibility, access or connection to an LTE network, and device software and settings can have an impact on whether or not the alert comes through,” Ghiz said. “That’s why we’re encouraging all Canadians to check their device compatibility on their wireless service provider’s website, and ensure that their device has the latest software update installed.”
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Operators of Canada’s new emergency alert system say they have learned from the failed wireless tests in Ontario and Quebec in May.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the national telecommunications regulator, has mandated that 50 per cent of new devices currently available for sale in Canada must be compatible with Alert Ready. This target increases to 100 per cent by April 2019, officials said.
