New Standard for emergency alerts on National Messaging System

Communications Alliance, the peak body of the Australian telecommunications industry, has published an updated mobile device Standard to enable future emergency alerts on smartphones in Australia.

“Australians are increasingly dependent on their mobiles during emergencies, including natural disasters, security threats and public health emergencies,” said Communications Alliance CEO Luke Coleman. “This updated Standard will ensure that Australians can access the latest emergency alerts on compatible mobiles when the National Messaging System (NMS) is operational.”

The NMS will utilise ‘cell broadcast’ technology, a modern and secure system to send emergency alerts to mobile devices in a targeted area. Cell broadcast can be used to send alerts to millions of devices almost instantly, with the ability to target devices in specific areas affected by natural disasters, or even nationwide.

Cell broadcast is an internationally proven technology with in-built privacy and security protections, no opt-in requirements, and the ability to bypass ‘Do Not Disturb’ settings to ensure emergency alerts are delivered. The NMS will thus provide a more modern technology compared to the current Emergency Alert system which is used to send basic text (SMS) messages to mobiles or voice messages to landlines in affected areas.

Communications Alliance, as an accredited Standards Development Organisation, has worked with mobile network operators and mobile device providers to revise AS/CA S042:2025 Requirements for connection to an air interface of a Telecommunications Network; the Standard specifies technical requirements for mobile devices. Part 1: General focuses on Emergency Call Service access and now supports cell broadcasts for the NMS, meaning compatible mobile devices will be ready to receive emergency warning alerts when the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) launches the NMS in 2026–27.

“When bushfires, floods or cyclones hit, the first thing Australians do is reach for their mobile,” Coleman said. “When the NMS is operational, people in affected areas will be able to receive time-critical alerts on compatible devices — which could have the potential to save lives during emergencies.”

AS/CA S042 was first published in 1999 and is now in its 10th iteration, having been developed by nine different Working Committees covering five generations of technologies: CDMA in 1999, GSM in 2005, 3G in 2010, 4G in 2015 and 5G in 2022. The Standard is revised every two to three years, with the next iteration addressing non-terrestrial networks (NTN), including direct-to-device connectivity from satellites. The eventual integration of 6G will be dependent on work being carried out by international committees developing internationally recognised Standards.

The updated Standard can be viewed at www.commsalliance.com.au/publication/as-ca-s042-1-2025/.

Image credit: iStock.com/napong rattanaraktiya