UK government emergency alert

[HCarterSmith]

I didn't get any alert today. I've got an S10 with OS 12 for Android. I've got the Emergency Alert Notification switched on in settings so i don't know why I and the rest of my family who also use Smarty, didn't get anything. I was disappointed I didn't recieve a message but also worried for if there is an actual Emergency, I won't know unless other people from other networks inform me.

[PeterSm_1580201]

Seems like the test didn't go well reading these comments! I found someone on twitter thinking it's am issue with certain pixel phones but it looks worse than that

[AmandaGu_963860]

I didn’t get it either and my daughter who was in another city at the time didn’t get either but her friends (about 4 more people with different networks did). I wonder if someone with smarty got it. 

[SusanSm_1147670]

I never got the alert ? My husband got it on both of his phones  on different networks.

[Michael_T]

EE seems to have delivered more consistently, by what I’ve read so far.

Some of the press reporters have indicated that no one on the Three infrastructure had received anything…so, as SMARTY operates on the Three infrastructure then would explain why.  
It seems to me like it’s a combination of both some network failing, plus where you are in the country.  Also, as networks provide Wi-Fi calling, then possible that users were on this when the alert sent.  It alert only works if you’re on 4G/5G at the time it is sent.

[JoRo]

I didn't get the alert on my iPhone SE. However, I was using wifi calling at the time so I'm not sure whether the alert was not sent in my area or I did not receive it because of wifi calling. 

[Chris_1083355]

I have a Google pixel 6a , with emergency alerts enabled and I failed to receive the emergency alert. I have read on the internet that a lot of people on either Three's network or a provider such as Smarty that uses the three network also failed to receive the Alert. 

[Jamze]

No alerts here. Smarty, Three and O2. Poor signal, one bar, but good enough for SMS messages to get to us usually. Samsung, iPhone and Pixel

[beccaC_161256]

I didn't either. Samsung user. 

[beccaC_161256]

Just seen another post saying that only works if on 4g/5g - I was in my house on WiFi calling so that may be another reason I didn't get it. 

[Pauline210175]

Nope neither me of my daughter got one!

[Xyrox]

No alert here. There's been widespread comments regarding the same. You had one job, government 😂

[will6789]

According to this twitter thread, the problem is that the Three network failed to repeat the alert over the full 20min period (like the other networks) and just sent it once meaning that the vast majority of devices didn't catch it.

[JamesSmi_405477]

Sounds about right.. They didn't give the right instructions to the core network tech people in Mumbai.

[Donca_WW]

I have two roommates and I didn’t hear the alarm in the house at all. 

[PeterWe_1263203]

My wife and I didn't get the warning either. Both on smarty

[JoRo]

I didn't receive an alert on my iPhone SE.  At the time I was connected using "wifi calling".  As I was not connected via a 4G/5G signal, would this have made any difference?

[JamesSmi_405477]

I was in a pub with a bunch of mates at the time. Only people that didn't get it were those on Three/Smarty.

It was a good way of identifying those in the pub that are too tight to probably offer you a round. They're willing to be on the $hit network that is Three, to save a few bucks. At the expense of not getting safety alerts...

[LouisK]

We are aware that a number of customers have not received the test alert. We are working closely with the government to understand why and ensure it doesn't happen when the system is in use.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused. 

UPD: We’ve investigated and identified why the issue occurred, and we’re now working hard to rectify this to ensure that it is fixed for the future.

Best wishes,

Louis

SMARTY

[JamesSmi_405477]

Are you able to elaborate on the root cause? 

How do we know it's fixed if there's no future emergency test? 

[dazfinlay]

I have a pixel 6 I had the phone on and emergency alerts enabled but did not get the message in Leeds

[JezmundoSmash]

No, I didn't either.  20 ir so friends on Smarty and 3 failed to do so as well.

[JezmundoSmash]

Nope. Neither did anyone I know who is on Smarty or 3.

[JohnGre_1837641]

Nope i never got it (iPhone 8), my partners GiffGaff phone got it (iPhone 😎 and my work phone got it (Samsung A20). I only just switched to SMARTY, maybe I should switch back.

[AnthonyG_136094]

My family are all on Smarty. No one received the alert (2 Android and 2 iPhones).

[JuliaBau_791042]

No I’m with Smarty using an iphone6 & I didn’t get the alert either.

[KatieR98]

Hi myself and three children all with iPhones and on smarty none of us received the emergency alert today.

[LE55ONS]

I was on 5G with a Galaxy S10 and my son has the new pixel. No alerts on both phones.

[JamesSmi_405477]

Everyone else in the pub did. Friends in other locations in London didn't get the message either.... Consistent theme, they were either on Three or Smarty.

Why is this network so bad?

[LouisK]

Hi @JamesSmi_405477 

We are aware that a number of customers have not received the test alert. We are working closely with the government to understand why and ensure it doesn't happen when the system is in use.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused. 

Best wishes,

Louis

SMARTY

[JamesSmi_405477]

" have not received the best alert"

What does that even mean? One either recieves the alert or doesn't.

Disappointing that Three can't even get it's network in order to forward an emergency alert that haf been planned months in advance. Pathetic actually. Not sure that people in the Reading Head Office are actually doing.

[WelshPaul]

Change network then!

If you took the time to do some research instead of jumping up and down on the spot ranting, you’d have found out that it wasn’t just some of Three/SMARTY customers that failed to get the alert but some users of all the UK networks.

[LynnOrt_1234627]

I did NOT receive a government alert on my Samsung S21 plus today even though my phone has been updated. I am on Smarty network. 

[JuneKen_1069229]

Didn't get the emergency alert . Did any other smarty customers get the emergency alert? 

[Huaidong]

Almost everybody received the national alert as a test yesterday 23rd April 2023 but not me. Is that because of the network problem from Smarty?

[BevPook_1893170]

It seems a large amount of Smarty and 3 users did not recieve. My mobile is Samsung A12 and I did not recieve it either. Can Smarty explain the reason please.

[George · Accepted solution]

Hi all,

Following the emergency alerts test on Sunday, we’ve been working with the government and have identified a technical issue that meant some of our customers didn’t receive the alert. This morning (24th of April) our engineers deployed a fix meaning there will be no issue with future alerts.

[AndrewFo_451523]

Hi, will there be a test so we can all see this fix works?

Many thanks, 

[AndrewFo_451523]

Hi,

Can you please confirm there will be a test of the fix so we as customers can all know the fix works and our phones are going to receive the alerts?

Many thanks,

[JoRo]

Presumably if wi-fi calling is being used the alert will not be received in any event?

[JamesSmi_405477]

How can you be sure it's fixed if there's no future tests? And what network engineer in the offshore NOC forgot to deploy the config correctly in the first place?