Hong Kong: 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 9 Pacific Island countries.

Early warning systems help communities prepare for hazards and take action to protect lives and livelihoods. Getting a warning to people quickly, with clear instructions on what to do, is a critical part of that process. Mobile networks provide a direct channel for delivering this information to people at risk.

The funding will support the rollout of cell broadcast technology in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Cell broadcast allows authorised agencies to send emergency alerts simultaneously to compatible mobile phones within a defined area. Alerts can reach large numbers of people within seconds, without being delayed by the congestion that can affect calls and text messages during emergencies.

Through its Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation programme, the GSMA will work with mobile network operators, national disaster management authorities, regulators and other local partners to support the delivery of these services. The work will address both technical readiness and the procedures needed to issue warnings, helping countries establish clear responsibilities for authorising and sending alerts.

The GSMA advocates integrating mobile alerts into national early warning systems alongside radio, television and community-based channels, helping warnings reach people with different connectivity and communication needs. Effective systems depend on 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 will lead cell broadcast activities under the Pacific Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems Communication & Tools Project, working in close coordination with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), through its COMET Program. The Weather Ready Pacific Program (WRP) has played a strong role in providing technical support and regional coordination for the implementation of these activities. The project supports wider regional efforts to strengthen hazard monitoring, forecasting and warning communications.

The funding builds on the GSMA’s work which began in 2025 with the Pacific Islands Telecommunications Association (PITA) and Omnitouch Network Services to bring together mobile operators, meteorological services, regulators, UN agencies and governments to advance mobile early warning systems across the Pacific.

It also supports the GSMA’s wider contribution to the Early Warnings for All initiative, through which its Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation programme and regional teams are working with partners to strengthen mobile-enabled warnings across multiple regions. This work builds on the programme’s longstanding partnership with the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, with support from the GSMA.