January 9, 2005
Cell Phones Alert Users of Natural Disasters
In high-tech South Korea, mobile phones are now keeping their owners informed of national disasters via short messaging services, reports The Korea Times.
"Through a partnership with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Korea's No.2 mobile operator KTF launched an early-warning service last month before the tsunami hit.
Under the service Multi-Q, the carrier will send an emergency text message to subscribers who carry service-specific handsets for no extra charge.
"We originally got the idea from the heavy snow early last year, which isolated many people who were not well-informed of the weather forecast,'' a KTF spokesman said.
A total of 4.1 million KTF subscribers are now carrying Multi-Q-enabled handsets. They can receive the emergency warning by signing up for the service.
Related warning systems from around the world:
-- Germany offers lead on tsunami warning system
-- Text message broadcasts could provide disaster alerts
-- Israeli Company Offers Free Tsunami Alert System
-- How cell phones may have helped Southern Asia
-- Links to all Tsunami/cell phone stories posted in Textually.org.
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