Explaining the rationale behind the decision to trigger an alert on every single mobile device in the nation, FEMA said “The purpose of the October 4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the pubic about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.”
The alarm will begin to sound on each device at 2:20 p.m. Eastern Time, and will last for approximately for one minutes. The message attached to start the alert shall read, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
FEMA stated that the test is being undertaken with the cooperation of radio and TV broadcasters, which suggests that during the minute there will effectively be a media blackout in the country.
Citizens do not need to opt in to receive the alert as it is an automatic process, and you will able to continue using your phone as normal as soon as it’s finished.