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A member of the Tehran City Council announced that loudspeakers have been installed in key city squares to disseminate information during internet outages. The system is still under development and remains incomplete.
New Communication System for Emergencies
Mehdi Babaei, a council member, explained that the loudspeakers will broadcast sirens, various audio files during emergencies, and the call to prayer under normal conditions. He said: "During the 12-day war, the Ministry of Communications had to temporarily restrict internet access at certain times. In wartime conditions, mobile phones might also need to be temporarily blocked. Under such circumstances, relying on mobile phones for information dissemination is not effective. Therefore, we need alternative methods to inform the public during emergencies, one of which is the installation of public announcement systems."
Maintenance Concerns Raised
Babaei emphasized that a major concern surrounding these systems is determining which entity will be responsible for their upkeep. He stated: "The Crisis Management Organization collaborated with the IT organization a decade ago to implement a similar initiative, but no trace of it remains today. We should learn from that experience and designate a responsible institution to ensure the maintenance and development of these loudspeakers."
Functionality of Installed Loudspeakers
Babaei also addressed the operational aspects of these systems. He noted that the loudspeakers will be used to broadcast the call to prayer during normal times, while their activation in crises will require further decision-making and planning.
