Warning and information system

“LU-Alert” is the name of the new public warning and information system deployed in autumn 2024. It consists of the internationally recognized two-letter country code for Luxembourg, “LU”, and the English translation of the word “alerte”, so “Alert”.

The “LU-Alert” system is the new public warning and information system deployed in autumn 2024.

With the entry into force of Directive (EU) 2018/1972 establishing the European Electronic Communications Code and its transposition into national law by the loi du 17 décembre 2021 sur les réseaux et les services de communications électroniques, the previous warning and information system had to be adapted to modern times and technological innovation. To achieve this, the government has invested in the development of a multi-channel, national, modern and coherent warning and information system, using new accessible technologies, such as Cell Broadcast (CB) and location-based SMS (LB-SMS).

Warning and informing the population is an essential tool to enable citizens exposed, or likely to be exposed, to an event that could affect their physical integrity or that of their property, to prepare themselves by taking the useful and necessary precautions. The task of warning and informing the population is therefore not only in the heat of the action, but also upstream, with the aim of strengthening resilience and prevention.

The “LU-Alert” system is based on an electronic platform, the central core of the system, to which the various public authorities are connected, who are led, by their respective missions, to trigger warning and information messages to the population. The authorities enter their message in the platform, indicate the targeted geographical area where the population needs to be warned or informed and choose the warning channels appropriate to the situation encountered.

Currently, public authorities can, from the electronic platform, send messages:

• By location-based SMS (LB-SMS);
• By Cell Broadcast (CB);
• On the “LU-Alert” mobile application;
• On the www.lu-alert.lu website(and the websites of the public authorities involved).

It is planned to connect additional warning channels (e.g. sirens, social media, etc.) to the electronic platform so that they also can be triggered from there. In fact, some of these warning channels are triggered manually or individually.

The triggering of warning and information messages to the population via location-based SMS and Cell Broadcast sends a request to the mobile network operators to transmit the messages entered in the platform by the various public authorities. The mobile network operators then transmit these messages to the population, without any modification, via their own equipment. The sending of warning and information messages to the population via the “LU-Alert” mobile application and via the www.lu-alert.lu website (and the websites of the public authorities involved) is done directly from the platform, without an intermediary.

The various public authorities whose respective missions require them to communicate warning and information messages to the population, send these via the “LU-Alert” system.

The public authorities using the “LU-Alert” system from its launch in autumn 2024 are:

• The Water management agency (AGE);
• The Luxembourg Veterinary and Food Administration (ALVA);
• The Luxembourg Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS);
• The High Commission for National Protection (HCPN);
• The Meteorological department of the Air Navigation Administration (MeteoLux);
• The Luxembourgish Police.

However, it is planned to involve other public authorities over time.

The warning and information messages sent via the “LU-Alert” system normally contain information about what has happened or what is likely to happen. The message also contains recommendations on how you should behave or what action you should take, as well as an indication of a website where you can find more information.

Depending on the warning channel triggered and the technical limitations it may have (such as a maximum character limit that the message cannot exceed when sending location-based SMS (LB-SMS)), the information contained in the message may be quite concise, so it is always recommended to visit the website www.lu-alert.lu to consult the details of the alert in question.

If you receive a warning or information message, you must behave or act according to the recommendations contained in the message.

If you receive a test message, you do not need to behave or act in a particular way. In principle, the content of the message clearly indicates this.

To verify the authenticity of the message, please consult the www.lu-alert.lu website or listen to/follow the information from the media.

Warning and information messages are sent in the following languages: German, English and French.

Messages sent by the “LU-Alert” mobile application are received in the language that has been configured in the settings of the mobile application.

Depending on the language and region settings of your mobile device, messages sent via Cell Broadcast (CB) are received in the preferred language of your device if recognized by the electronic platform (German, English) and always in French. If the preferred language is not recognized, you will receive the message in French on mobile devices operated by Android and in the  3 languages ​​(German, English and French) on mobile devices operated by Apple.

Messages sent by location-based SMS (LB-SMS) are received in a single message in the three languages: German, English and French.

No, neither for location-based SMS (LB-SMS) nor for Cell Broadcast (CB).

When public authorities trigger of warning and information messages to the population, mobile network operators are asked to transmit those messages. So, in principle, all mobile devices located in the defined area at the time the public authorities trigger the transmission are targeted.

To receive warning and information messages via the “LU-Alert” mobile application, you need to download it via your mobile device operator’s Store (Apple App Store or Google Play Store).

No. See answer to the question “How does the “LU-Alert” system work?”.

In this kind of situation, the “LU-Alert” system, being multichannel, ensures that messages still reach the population. In the event of the saturation of the mobile network operators’ network, the “LU-Alert” system can be impacted, for instance the reception of location-based SMS (LB-SMS). Normally, this won’t concern the messages transmitted by Cell Broadcast (CB) which use a dedicated telecommunication network. Besides, you will always have access to other warning channels such as the www.lu-alert.lu website, other government websites, or the media.

If you do not have a mobile device compatible with the download of the mobile application “LU-Alert” and Cell Broadcast (CB), you will not receive messages transmitted by those warning channels.

If a warning and information message is transmitted by location-based SMS (LB-SMS), you should receive it.

Besides, you will always have access to other warning channels such as the www.lu-alert.lu website, other government websites, or the media.

Depending on the mobile device you are using, you can enable accessibility features in the settings of your mobile device that allow you to hear the content displayed on the screen or the content of the message when selected (the content is spoken by your mobile device) or to zoom the content.

Messages sent by location-based SMS (LB-SMS) or Cell Broadcast (CB) can, like any other communication technologies, be subject to phishing or smishing. For more information on this subject, consult the government website: https://www.bee-secure.lu/fr/risks/hameconnage/.

When you receive a message:

• Always check the sender of the message (see the answer to the question “From which sender do the warning and information messages sent via the location-based SMS come from?”);
• Check on the www.lu-alert.lu website whether the message received is listed as a current  alert;
• Check the content of the message and any website links. The public authorities will never ask for personal data and in principle the message won’t contain any  clickable websites. If the message should contain a clickable link, check the address of the website to which it is redirected and whether it is an official government website. The content of the message will always concern an alert or information about an event from one of the 12 alert categories (see answer to the question “For which events are warnings and information messages sent via the “LU-Alert” system?”). If it is a test message, the content of the message will clearly indicate that and you don’t need to behave or act in a particular way.

No. The “LU-Alert” warning and information system is exclusively used by public authorities for the transmission of warning and information messages.