Government notifies Indian Wireless Telegraphy (Cell Broadcasting Service for Disaster Alerts) Rules, 2023 to notify that no manufacturer shall manufacture or sell in India, any smart phone or feature phone without having Cell broadcast with featured notified under this rule. Further manufacturer of Phone should also ensure that such facilities are implemented in already sold Mobiles
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS
(Department of Telecommunications)
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 6th April, 2023
G.S.R. 278(E).—In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) read with clause (v) of sub- section (2) of section 10 of the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933 (17 of 1933), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules, namely:-
1. Short title and commencement.—(1) These rules may be called the Indian Wireless Telegraphy (Cell Broadcasting Service for Disaster Alerts) Rules, 2023.
(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. Definition – In these rules, unless the contexts otherwise requires,-
(a) “feature phone” means a mobile phone handset that may incorporate features such as the ability to access internet and store and play music but does not have the operating system feature of a personal computer;
(b)”smart phone” means a mobile phone handset with a mobile operating system, which combines features similar to those of a personal computer operating system with other features useful for mobile or handheld use;
(c) “cell broadcast” means a method of sending messages to multiple mobile telephone users in a defined area at the same time in a broadcast manner.
3. Cell broadcast in new smart phones and feature phones–(1) With effect after the six months of the commencement of these rules, no manufacturer shall manufacture or sell in India, any smart phone or feature phone without having following facilities, namely:-
(a) mandatory support to receive cell broadcast messages in English & Hindi languages;
(b) storing received cell broadcast messages for at least twenty-four hours, subject to the memory of the feature phone;
(c) maintaining cell broadcast messages on the screen until acknowledged by the user;
(d) alert sound, vibration and light duration for at least thirty seconds; and
(e) mandatory mentioning of cell broadcast capability in feature list and user manuals to increase customer awareness.
(2) With effect after the nine months of the commencement of these rules, no manufacturer shall manufacture or sell in India, the smart phone or feature phone without having following facilities, namely:-
(a) mandatory receipt of extreme cell broadcast alert messages and the mandatory receipt of severe cell broadcast alert messages may be explored; and
(b) automatic read out of the cell broadcast messages in Indian accent, in English & Hindi languages, subject to the memory of the feature phones.
(3). With effect after the twelve months of the commencement of these rules, no manufacturer shall manufacture or sell in India, the smart phone or feature phone without having mandatory support to receive cell broadcast messages and automatic read out of such messages in Indian accent, in all Indian languages as per Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India, subject to the memory of the feature phone.
4. Cell broadcast in existing smart phones: Within six months of the commencement of these rules, the manufacturer of mobile phone handset and the mobile handset operating system developer shall explore that the smart phone, which have been sold in India within four years prior to such commencement, have the facility to receive cell broadcast messages and auto read out feature, in all Indian languages as per Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India.
[F. No. 15-2/2021-DM]
SANJAY KUMAR AGRAWAL, Dy. Director Gen. (Disaster Management)
