Government Calls AusAlert Test a 'Success' Despite Reports Many Missed Alert
Australia's first nationwide emergency alert test reached 94 percent of cell towers, but many people in remote areas said they never got the message.
On Monday at 2 p.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time, mobile phones across Australia lit up and made noise as the country tested a new emergency alert system called AusAlert. The federal government said the test was a success, but many people reported that they never received the message. Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain said nearly 94 percent of targeted cell towers sent out the alert, which was above the government's goal of 90 percent.
Ms. McBain explained that the 6 percent of towers that did not send the alert were offline for repairs, being upgraded, or could not be used. She said the test results were 'very successful' even though it is not clear exactly how many phones actually received the message. The government is now looking closely at all parts of the test to find ways to improve the system.
People across Australia had very different experiences with the alert. The ABC received more than 1,000 comments from people sharing what happened with their phones. Some people at a university said only one out of every three people got the message, and some alerts arrived 10 to 15 minutes late. In schools, teachers noticed the test quickly showed which students had their phones with them in class.
Not everyone had trouble with the alert. Even tourists from the United States received the message. Kim Magee, visiting from the US, compared AusAlert to the Amber Alert system used in America to warn people when a child goes missing. Her travel companion Chelsea Stillwell said Americans have had similar alerts for a long time.
People living in remote parts of Australia had the hardest time getting the alert. In Longreach, a town in outback Queensland about 700 kilometres from the coast, tourists Vanessa and Tom Ranken said their phones did not go off until several minutes after 2 p.m. In the Simpson Desert, Kyle Barton said he received no alert at all. He thought it was because he uses satellite internet rather than a regular mobile network.
People living in areas at high risk of bushfires said the system could save lives. Jenny Robb, a survivor of the Black Summer bushfires in New South Wales, said AusAlert could be 'really valuable.' Brett Hitchens from Machans Beach in Cairns also supported the system. His home was badly flooded by ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper in December 2023, and he said an early warning would have helped his family make better decisions before the water rose.
Some people raised concerns about gaps in the system, especially in regional areas. One person from Repton, New South Wales, said many local residents did not get the alert. They pointed out that during a past evacuation, emergency workers had to knock on 300 doors because mobile coverage was so poor. They argued the system seemed to be designed by people in cities who do not understand how phone networks work in the bush, where many of the biggest natural disaster risks exist.
Ms. McBain said AusAlert is a much stronger and more reliable tool than what Australia has used before for emergency communication. She said the government will keep working with phone companies and phone makers to reach as many people as possible. However, she also reminded Australians that there is 'no silver bullet' in emergency communication, meaning no single tool can do everything on its own. A public feedback page for AusAlert has now been launched so people can share their experiences.
"The first warning we had was wet feet, by the time we realised what was going on, we were wading through water everywhere."
Comprehension quiz preview
1. What percentage of targeted cell towers successfully sent the AusAlert test message?
2. Why did Kyle Barton in the Simpson Desert think he did not receive the alert?
3. What did Brett Hitchens say was the first sign that his home was flooding during Cyclone Jasper?