Sweden: New public SMS alert system to be launched

Event

Sweden's publicly-owned SOS Alarm emergency control center has announced plans to set up an SMS warning system to alert people in affected areas in the event of a dangerous incident, such as fires, gas leaks, and terrorist attacks. SOS Alarm is working with all of Sweden's mobile phone operators to set up the system, expanding their previous warning list from specific subscribers to the public at large. These SMS alerts, which are free, will be sent to both pre-paid and post-paid mobile subscribers. This includes foreign travelers roaming on the country's mobile networks, provided such text messages are not blocked by their parent mobile provider.

The service will be launched on July 1 and implemented throughout Sweden by September 2017.

Context

SOS Alarm has been working on a public SMS warning system since 2013, but only received permission from the Swedish government to implement it in June 2017.

Advice

Individuals should ensure they are connected to a mobile phone network in Sweden in order to receive the SMS alerts. ​