A new €3.7 million cell broadcast–based emergency alert system will be completed and introduced in Estonia by 2027. It will be faster and more flexible than SMS notifications, ministers say.

Testing has shown that Estonia’s current SMS-based warning system is slow and inefficient, prompting officials to consider alternatives.

Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200) said the new system will send messages about life-threatening events to be sent to people’s smartphones within seconds.

“This is a modern and efficient solution whose implementation we have considered before, but until now we did not have the budget to develop it. Now that the necessary funding is available, we can move forward and adopt a system that operates in many countries worldwide and enables alerts to be sent quickly, with sound, light, and vibration notifications,” he said.

The new system will be used in the future alongside the broadcasting network solution known as the “pocket siren,” explained Hedi Arukase, head of the Civil Protection Department at the Ministry of the Interior.

Estonia tested its nationwide public warning system on Wednesday afternoon. May 14, 2025. Source: Aili Vahtla/ERR

“For people, the cell broadcast solution does not look any different from the 5G broadcast or broadcasting network solution (pocket siren) currently being developed with European Union funds. The messages still arrive quickly on smartphones and alert people with sound, vibration, and light,” she said.

The difference lies in the technology and network through which the messages will be sent in the future.

The different technologies will support each other in case one of the alert systems fails to operate for some reason, clarified Ministry of the Interior communications adviser Kristina Kukk.

The project is currently in the planning and preparation phase.

“In the next stages of the project, there will be development, testing, and gradual implementation. The solution should be in wider use by the end of 2027 at the latest,” Arukase said.

The 5G broadcasting “pocket siren” test took place in Tallinn, Pärnu and Rakvere on July 16, 2025. Source: ERR

The €3.67 million allocated to the system will cover development and implementation costs such as software and system development, testing, and integration into the existing emergency alert system, Arukase said.

In addition to the allocated funds, there will be an estimated €500,000 in annual administrative and maintenance costs, she added.

The procurement for the alert system is currently being prepared.

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