Two test messages will be used to test the components of the BG-ALERT system in 2025. The first is scheduled for April 1, and the second for October 1 - between 11:00 and 11:30. The tests will not check whether citizens' mobile devices can receive Cell Broadcast messages. This was stated by Chief Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov, Director of the General Directorate “Fire Safety and Population Protection“, during a press conference, at which he presented details of the BG-ALERT early warning system.
The purpose of the warning to the population is to provide timely and essential information to people at risk and to responsible institutions, so that they can make a decision and take action in the event of an emergency.
“The creation of messages is done only by competent authorities authorized by law to disseminate warning information to the population and officials designated by them who have undergone initial training. In addition to training on working with the system, the GDPBZN-MIA checks the authenticity of the source of the created message and for compliance with the requirements for content and layout of the created message. Through the BG-ALERT system, the General Directorate disseminates the message to the population,“ commented Chief Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov.
He specified that citizens who wish to receive test messages should make sure that the test channel on their device is activated. The messages provided for this purpose will be used when conducting the tests. BG-ALERT notifications are standardized and are of 5 types in total. The highest priority is “Attention danger!“, for which there is no possibility of turning off by users. The following types are notifications for “Serious dangers“, “Information“, “Missing person“ and “Test messages“, the receipt of which can be managed through the settings on mobile devices.
The test messages, planned for April 1 and October 1 this year, have the possibility of being turned on/off by users. Chief Commissioner Dzhartov emphasized that receiving messages is accompanied by a characteristic sound, which differs from those used on devices for other notifications, and it is possible even without a SIM card.
The types of messages differ in the title of the “window“ with the message contained: “BG-ALERT. On older devices with the Android operating system (before version 11), without the possibility of being updated, it is not possible to synchronize the menus and the titles of the “window“ with the message contained. This is the reason for receiving messages with the title of the “window“: “Signal from the President“. During the initial test of the system in November 2023, a message with the highest priority was used in order to reach the maximum number of devices and to allow the population to gain an idea of the device's behavior when receiving Cell Broadcast messages. All tests after November 2023 are being conducted and will continue to be conducted with the intended messages on the test channel. Citizens who wish to receive test messages must make sure that the test channel on their device is activated.
The BG-ALERT system uses Cell Broadcast technology. The software and hardware components of the system are built, developed and maintained by the GDPBZN-MVR. Mobile operators provide and maintain infrastructure for distributing Cell Broadcast messages from the BG-ALERT system to users' devices. Citizens can receive notifications from the system on different brands and models of devices, with a number of operating systems and versions. GDPBZN is in contact with the manufacturers of the most popular operating systems in order to standardize the menu views and behavior of the devices. Changes in the devices can only occur through operating system updates.
Among the advantages of the Cell Broadcast Service system is the speed of distribution. Within a few minutes, a message can be distributed throughout the entire country.
When sending messages from BG-ALERT, no personal data or information about the location of the recipients is used. The system provides the ability to simultaneously distribute multiple messages in one or different territories, which are up to 600 characters in length.
The technology has been used in population warning systems for more than 15 years and most modern devices are fully compatible. For Apple devices, the minimum compatible version of the operating system for the territory of Bulgaria is iOS 16.6, while for Android devices there are no additional requirements. In order to receive a message, the device must be turned on and with the “airplane mode“ deactivated. It is important that the mobile device is in an area where there is coverage of the mobile operator used and at the same time there is active distribution of Cell Broadcast messages. The personal user settings of the device are also important.
The use of the BG-ALERT system is regulated in Regulation No. 8121z-413 of March 29, 2024 on the procedure for the construction, maintenance, development and use of the BG-ALERT system for the distribution of population warning messages.