The GSMA has secured a US$1.2 million subaward from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to strengthen mobile-enabled early warning systems across nine Pacific Island countries.
The funding is intended to support the rollout of cell broadcast technology in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Cell broadcast is designed to allow authorised agencies to send emergency alerts simultaneously to compatible mobile phones within a defined area. The GSMA said alerts can reach large numbers of people within seconds and are not subject to the congestion that can affect calls and text messages during emergencies.
Through its Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation programme, the GSMA said it will work with mobile network operators, national disaster management authorities, regulators and other local partners on both technical readiness and the procedures used to issue warnings, including responsibilities for authorising and sending alerts.
The GSMA said it advocates integrating mobile alerts into national early warning systems alongside radio, television and community-based channels, citing the need for clear policies, coordination between public authorities and mobile operators, and messages that communities can understand and act on.
Kimberly Brown, Head of Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation & Emerging Tech at the GSMA, said: “Mobile networks are a crucial channel to reach people with lifesaving information in advance of disasters. Sustained investment and longstanding partnerships between governments, mobile operators and a broad constellation of partners are vital to develop and deliver national early warning systems. This funding from NOAA will accelerate the implementation of mobile-enabled early warning systems in nine Pacific Island countries and will build on existing partnerships that share a commitment to saving lives, protecting livelihoods, and building long term disaster resilience across the region”.
The GSMA said it will lead cell broadcast activities under the Pacific Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems Communication & Tools Project, working in coordination with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) through its COMET Program. It also cited the Weather Ready Pacific Program (WRP) as providing technical support and regional coordination.
According to the GSMA, the funding builds on work that began in 2025 with the Pacific Islands Telecommunications Association (PITA) and Omnitouch Network Services to convene mobile operators, meteorological services, regulators, UN agencies and governments to advance mobile early warning systems across the Pacific.
The GSMA also linked the work to the Early Warnings for All initiative, through which it said its Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation programme and regional teams are working with partners to strengthen mobile-enabled warnings across multiple regions.
