By Charles Lefebvre

National emergency alert test coming next week

Nov 19, 2018 | 9:37 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB —Canadians will be getting another test emergency alert sent to their phones next week.

On November 28, emergency management organizations will be issuing test messages through Alert Ready, the national emergency alert system.

The message will be delivered over television, radio and compatible wireless devices at 1:55 p.m. local tim. In Quebec, the test will take place at 2:55 p.m.

It’s the second test this year, with the first one taking place in May. Many people across Canada mentioned they did not receive the test on their devices. The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) says there are a variety of reasons why people may not receive their alert.

“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,” said Robert Ghiz, President ant CEO of CWTA, in a news release. “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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The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has set a target to have 50 per cent of new devices for sale in Canada be compatible with Alert Ready. The goal is to have 100 per cent of devices compatible by April 2019.

Since last year, there have been more than 100 emergency alerts successfully transmitted to Canadians over TV, radio and wireless platforms, though alerts have not been issued in all areas of Canada. The tests will evaluate the end-to-end performance and reliability of the system across Canada.