LONDON — Disasters happen everywhere, and are often devastating; consider the Nepal–China–Tibet glacial collapse and subsequent flash floods on Aug. 26, or the devastating fires caused by high temperatures in France and Spain this summer. In early September, four volcanoes in Indonesia, a country of about 17,000 islands straddling the Pacific Ring of Fire, erupted in a single day. One of those, Mount Anak Krakatau (in the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra), spewed volcanic ash over large areas, including the densely populated island of West Java, disrupting aviation operations.
These four volcanoes in Indonesia are separated by hundreds, and even thousands, of kilometers. Yet on that single day, volcanic activity required monitoring and public attention across different parts of the country. It was not just a mega-disaster but also a sharp reminder of the scale of Indonesia’s emergency communication challenge.
In a country known for earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods, landslides, forest fires and extreme weather, the critical question is no longer disaster detection but delivering official, comprehensive, timely and reliable warnings to millions of people at once.
Emergency Warning Functionality
A disaster that begins with a volcano in the Sunda Strait can also rapidly become a public-safety issue affecting people far beyond the immediate volcanic danger zone. This is where DRM’s Emergency Warning Functionality (EWF) provides strategic value by using the infrastructure of Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI), Indonesia’s national public broadcaster. With its wide transmission coverage network, RRI can now also deliver emergency information to the public.
With DRM EWF, an authorized emergency message can be distributed through the digital radio broadcasting network and trigger an alert on compatible DRM digital receivers. More importantly, it can deliver disaster warnings from outside the affected region, where communication links are often limited.
The concept behind DRM EWF is straightforward: Official entities, such as government agencies and ministries, issue warnings that broadcasters carry from their studios to their transmitters using the correct protocols and the DRM emergency system. From there, the warnings reach citizens, even waking receivers in standby mode, delivering alert messages in one or several languages, showing maps and providing instructions with the ultimate goal of saving lives.
DRM EWF delivers warnings across all frequency bands, from shortwave and medium wave to VHF (bands I, II/FM and III). DRM successfully demonstrated the concept in India. DRM EWF is also one of the main reasons China has adopted DRM on AM frequencies. DRM can deliver disaster warnings to individual towns, regions or an entire country, adding a layer of resilience alongside existing emergency communication channels.
During a major disaster, existing communication channels, including mobile and internet services, can be affected, electricity might no longer be available, and people might not have smartphones or be able to check them. A broadcast-based emergency warning system like DRM can reach many people at once.
Not all digital broadcasting standards deliver the same level of emergency warnings with relevance in all situations
Life-saving information
The United States has an entirely separate communication network, also based on broadcasting but using analog. The relevant agencies have announced a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System this November, the first since 2023. The capacity for disaster information dissemination through one-to-many broadcasting is also one reason the U.S. House recently passed a bill requiring carmakers to provide AM radio as standard equipment in new vehicles, at no additional cost to consumers. “When the power goes out, when the cell towers go down, and when the Internet cuts off during a storm or an emergency, AM radio is often the only way families can get the life-saving information they need,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer, one of the representatives supporting the bill.
Radio, often seen as part of the in-car infotainment experience, provides a safety net by enabling prompt alerts and information for drivers and passengers during crises and accidents. However, some carmakers are already bringing new cars to market without a radio tuner. This eliminates the chance for drivers and passengers to get vital information in emergencies.
There is a whole effort, notably in Europe, to have broadcast radio tuners in all new vehicles. Several examples worldwide show the growing popularity of this public policy intervention. China is also the latest major country on the verge of mandating radio availability in automobiles, first analog, then digital.
Two hot topics linked
Rather than building an entirely separate communication network, like in the U.S., countries like Indonesia and so many others can leverage their existing terrestrial broadcasting infrastructure. When upgraded to digital, this layer of security becomes more complete and easier to tailor to each situation and coverage need. Mandating radio in cars therefore goes beyond delivering entertainment and ad revenue — it is about security and saving lives.
Not all digital broadcasting standards deliver the same level of emergency warnings with relevance in all situations. In Luxembourg, a very small country, questions have been raised about the government relying on DAB+ for emergency warnings. Politicians have questioned whether citizens should still keep an analog FM radio on hand for emergencies, even as the national FM infrastructure is gradually being phased out in favor of digital.
Emergency warning delivery is not about how cheap a receiver is but about resilient, targeted delivery and a national policy that is robust in the face of any emergency. Receivers, one- or multi-standard, apps and other similar platforms already support DRM EWF.
Disaster warnings on radio are not the back door used to force digital radio into national communication platform systems. Digital radio must be used effectively to reach the public quickly, reliably and simultaneously in multiple places.
Broadcasters should not just report on disasters but also warn people before those disasters become tragedies.
The author is chairman of the DRM Consortium.
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