Alert Ready system will be tested for the second time nationwide

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Most Canadians can expect their mobile phones, TVs and radios to sound today as the Alert Ready system undergoes a second round of testing.

Provincial emergency management organizations will simultaneously conduct public alerting tests across the country to ensure that people receive emergency alerts and can take steps to stay safe.

Test alerts are expected to appear on updated and compatible mobile devices connected to an LTE wireless network at 13:55. local time, with the exception of Quebec where the test will be done one hour later.

This second test comes after Manitoba Infrastructure Emergency Measures organizations reported that only 60% of wireless users had received an alert during a system test in May.

The first test was not audible in Quebec because of a coding error, which, according to the system operator, was corrected in a few hours.

In Ontario, some test alerts were heard and felt on mobile devices, but many wireless subscribers received no signals.

The CRTC requires 50% of wireless devices sold in Canada to be compatible with Alert Ready, but the coverage rate is expected to increase after April, when compatibility will become a requirement for all devices on sale.