Telia character limit blocked SE-Alert warnings

A character-limit setting at Telia stopped many customers from receiving Sweden's first large SE-Alert test warning. The failure occurred at the mobile-operator layer after the alert left the public warning system.

The agency said the test was sent at 15:00 on 7 September in Stockholm and Gotland. The Civil Defence Agency said Telia reported a technical deviation that prevented the message from reaching all of its subscribers, while other mobile operators said the test went according to plan.

SVT reported that Telia had changed its character limit shortly before the test. The warning contained more characters than the setting allowed, blocking delivery. Agency director-general Mikael Frisell said Telia had not followed the specification; Telia later corrected the setting and a new test worked.

Sveriges Radio reported that SOS Alarm said its delivery was correct and the failure arose at operator level. The exact number of phones that missed the warning has not been established.

The agency plans a national test in December. SE-Alert remains an additional warning channel alongside radio, television, apps, SMS and outdoor sirens; a compatible phone must be updated, switched on and connected to the mobile network.

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