New NBTC, AIS disaster announcement service proves to be a success
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) and Advanced Info Services Plc (AIS) have successfully tested a mobile phone broadcasting service to alert people of impending natural disasters.
NBTC chairman Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck and Varunthep Watcharaphon, chief of AIS business relations, held a joint press conference to announce the successful test of the broadcasting service.
Sarana said the broadcast service for disaster alerts had been funded by the Universal Service Obligation Fund, along with cooperation from relevant government agencies, including the Digital Economy and Society Ministry, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, the Royal Thai Police and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. The service also involves all other mobile phone service operators.
Instead of sending an SMS message, the cellular broadcast service will cover mobile phone users without requiring their phone numbers, Sarana said.
Varunthep, meanwhile, said this broadcast service meets international standards of disaster management.
Under the system, pop-up notifications will be sent to all mobile phones within disaster range in near real-time. Varunthep said tests showed that the technology worked properly.
The system is divided into two sides – government command centres and cellular broadcasting centres set up by mobile phone operators.
The government will set up entities to compose necessary messages to be broadcast.
