T-Mobile gives the Presidential Emergency Alert system a test ahead of schedule

If you are a T-Mobile subscriber, you might be among those who received a weird alert message on your smartphone this morning. Lance Ulanoff, was one of the ones who got the message as well when his HTC Radar 4G made a “weird siren-like sound” and displayed a mysterious notification on its display.

Well, no, it is not the zombie apocalypse that has begun. Apparently, the carrier decided to test the Presidential Emergency Alert system early, even though the nationwide test of the system is scheduled for next week. For those of you not familiar with the matter, the system has been in development by the FCC, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and is backed up by the nation's largest wireless carriers.

In essence, the system is meant to give the government the ability to send emergency alerts to the public without relying solely on radio and TV broadcasts for the purpose. It will also allow for easier localization of alerts so that emergency notifications can be sent to only specific areas of the country.

The next test of the Presidential Emergency Alert system is scheduled for November 9, 2:00PM EST, and although not all phones are guaranteed to receive the notification, it is said that iPhones and Windows Phone 7.5 devices should carry the alerts.

source: Electronista, Twitter