Estonia leads Europe in 5G Broadcast innovation with Pocket Siren emergency alert system

At the Broadcast Networks Europe (BNE) event in Brussels today, Estonia took centre stage as Levira presented Pocket Siren, Europe’s first nationwide emergency alert system built on 5G Broadcast technology.

Developed by Levira in collaboration with Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) and commissioned by the Estonian Ministry of the Interior, Pocket Siren represents a landmark in public safety innovation. The system ensures that emergency alerts can reach citizens even when conventional mobile and internet networks fail, such as during natural disasters or national crises.

The project also brings together leading European technology partners, including ORS (Austria), whose Nakolos platform provides the coordination layer connecting key system components, and TRedess (Spain), which supplies the energy-efficient transmission technologies powering the network.

Powered by 5G Broadcast technology and leveraging Estonia’s existing high-power, high-tower broadcast infrastructure, Pocket Siren can transmit critical messages simultaneously to millions of mobile devices without requiring a SIM card or internet connection.

Beyond its technical innovation, Pocket Siren sets a new benchmark for human-centric alert design. Insights from TalTech’s behavioural research ensure messages are not only received but also understood and acted upon, addressing a key challenge where traditional alerts fail to trigger responses from up to half the population.

The system complements Estonia’s existing communication channels, forming a multi-layered and resilient national emergency communication network that includes SMS-based alerts, sirens, and public media.

Kristo Kaasan, CTIO at Levira, said “Pocket Siren demonstrates that Europe doesn’t just talk about innovation, it delivers it. This project proves that 5G Broadcast is ready for real-world deployment today, providing a reliable and sustainable solution for emergency alerting. Estonia is proud to be leading the way, showing how existing broadcast infrastructure can be transformed to serve citizens when it matters most.”

Hedi Arukase, Head of Civil Protection Department of the Estonian Ministry of the Interior added “Public safety and resilience are at the heart of Estonia’s digital strategy. Pocket Siren is an example of how innovation and collaboration between government, academia, and industry can protect lives and strengthen national security. Estonia is committed to sharing its experience with other European nations to ensure that every citizen can be reached in times of crisis. The system complements Estonia’s existing communication channels, forming a multi-layered and resilient national emergency communication network that includes SMS-based alerts, sirens, public media etc”

The project also highlights Estonia’s role as a European frontrunner in 5G Broadcast development, contributing to the continent’s growing momentum toward harmonised regulation and deployment. Levira continues to advocate for EU-level policy alignment to ensure 5G Broadcast functionality becomes standard in mobile devices, unlocking the technology’s full potential for both public safety and media innovation.

As Europe looks ahead to 2030, Pocket Siren stands as a model for cross-sector collaboration,  uniting government, academia, and industry to deliver a more secure and connected future.

Read more here: https://broadcast-networks.eu/5g-broadcast-horizons-for-europe/