📋 Tender Overview
Today the government approved the draft law to amend the Electronic Communications Act ESS which aims to create the legal prerequisites for the introduction of the threat area-based rapid threat notification system AKOS. The hazard notification system will be completed in February 2023 at the latest.According to Kristjan Jarvan the Minister of Business and Information Technology the Estonian state currently lacks an effective tool that would enable immediate notification of people in the danger zone. Although until now the state in cooperation with communication companies has notified people via SMS when necessary for example during the corona crisis without a corresponding threat notification system it is time-consuming so in critical situations threat notification may not reach the threatened people quickly enough. The changes in the ESS oblige communication companies to inform people on their network of events that threaten life and health and the threat notification system currently being developed allows this to be done much easier and more operationally than before Jrvan said.The introduction of the danger notification system allows danger notifications to be sent only to people staying in a specific danger area by means of an SMS sent to a mobile phone if their life or health is threatened due to an event. The authorities responsible for informing the public have the opportunity to promptly transmit danger notifications and basic safety and behavior instructions to all mobile phone owners on the territory of Estonia i.e. also to foreigners staying here through the Emergency Center.Interior Minister Lauri Lnemetsaaccording to him reaching people in a timely manner with threat notification is especially important in emergency situations that due to their rapid development and extensive impact directly threaten the life or health of a large number of people. For example in the case of large landscape fires or fires in industrial buildings nearby people are threatened both by the direct spread of the fire in their direction and by the resulting toxic smoke. Such a situation was for example the 2018 Vikipalu wildfire. The need for rapid notification and sharing of behavioral guidelines can arise in a wide variety of large-scale natural and man-made crises where a country must ensure the safety and security of its citizens. That is why it is important that we are able to inform people in a timely manner and give the necessary instructions for dealing with or getting out of a dangerous situation said Lnemets.Having an effective early warning gives the public the opportunity to make additional preparations to prevent or mitigate severe consequences such as charging phone batteries refueling stocking up on drinking water and food avoiding going to dangerous places or starting evacuation preparing to take shelter etc. If people do not receive timely warning of a possible impending threat they may be unnecessarily endangered or rendered helpless more quickly.The emergency notification service is provided by the Emergency Center the emergency notification system is developed by the State Infocommunications Foundation RIKS. In addition to the state Estonias largest communication companies Telia Elisa and Tele2 also contribute to the operation of the notification system. The operation and use of the threat notification system operating through the electronic communication network in Estonia is part of the population protection concept approved in 2018.
