On October 17, 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted regulations, the purpose of which is to commence the project of the Information Centre of the Ministry of the Interior “Introduction of the Early Warning System ABS +” within the framework of the European Regional Development Fund.
When planning EU support directions in the field of climate change adaptation, the need for appropriate disaster management information and communication technologies (ICT) solutions to implement public awareness of the threat of emergency events, disasters or disasters has been identified as key issues to be addressed.
In order to identify the most problematic points of the field to be addressed in the ICT sector of the interior sector, the Ministry of the Interior applied to the project of the Structural Reform Support Programme of the European Commission “Improving the efficiency of the interior sector of Latvia”. As part of this, specific recommendations were received which included the development of the national Early Warning System (ABS + project).
In order to ensure the implementation of these ICT tools, a study on the implementation of the ABS + project has been carried out in 2020. Within the framework of the study, it was concluded that cell broadcasting technology is the most appropriate solution for the introduction of the public warning system in Latvia.
The cell broadcast solution is planned as a new solution that will allow citizens to receive a notification of a potential threat or disaster on their mobile phone if they are located in a geographical area where the threat exists. The main benefit of this system is the ability to quickly notify citizens and tourists in a particular area.
The technical implementation of the cell broadcasting system shall be implemented by the Information Centre of the Ministry of the Interior. An investigation of the implementation of the system has been completed, as well as a common understanding of the architecture of the system and the procedures for co-operation has been achieved during discussions with Latvian mobile operators.
The public procurement procedure “Establishment and maintenance of the Early Warning system for 4 years” is currently being launched, and first-round documents submitted by tenderers are being evaluated. After the conclusion of the first round, it is planned to announce the second round of procurement. If the procedure is successful, it is planned to conclude a contract with the performer at the end of this year.
The system is subject to high accessibility requirements. This includes integration with the infrastructure of the three mobile operators. The start-up of the system is scheduled for the second half of 2024.
For the implementation of the system, the technical specification has been developed by taking as an example the experience and best practices of EU Member States and Norway in relation to the latest and most advanced solutions to the cellular broadcasting system. The system is envisaged with a view to the future, incorporating ready-to-work multichannel solutions, which will allow Latvia to complement the system with additional functionality as necessary in the future.
The technical advantages of the cellular broadcasting system are the speed of notification, as information can be sent within a few minutes, warning can be received in absolutely the majority of mobile phones located in the relevant territory, as well as the possibilities of notifying persons visiting Latvia as well as persons with hearing impairments are improved. Similarly, if one of the mobile operators' networks is not working, the network coverage of the other operators makes it possible to ensure public communication.
Cell broadcast will complement and be one element of the existing alert system.
The total eligible financing available for the project is EUR 3 225 000, of which the European Regional Development Fund financing – EUR 2 741 250 and the state budget financing – EUR 483 750.
Within the framework of the first round of the event, the implementation of the ABS + project will also contribute to the efficiency of the State fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and reduce the administrative burden for the provision of SFRS services by facilitating the exchange of information between SFRS and residents.
