Even though many people thought of the idea of a national wireless messaging service some time ago, it is only now that the US authorities have finally agreed a format with the array of mobile phone companies in the US. They have agreed an SMS messaging service which will see all holders warned about a number of events and actions throughout the country from terrorist attacks to missing children.

The system, which has yet to actually go into action, will have a number of levels allowing mobile phone customers to choose from a selection of services such as presidential race, child abductions, etc, although there will also be a national system which will alert all mobile phone users (no matter which network they use) of vital information. The US government is now in the process of putting together a new office which will oversee the messages which are sent and how to improve or amend the service as time goes by.

As nearly every household in the developed world has access to a mobile phone, it seems that finally the authorities are catching up with the latest technology. However, while some had suggested other means of alerting citizens to what was happening, SMS seems to be the lowest common demoninator, i.e. the service which most people have access to.

Will we see the UK follow suit? Will we see the EU bring in a similar system? This all just seems like a matter of time and with so many of the major mobile phone networks having access to worldwide markets, the transfer of the system from the US to places such as the UK does not seem too difficult. This announcement has come around the same time as missing “Maddie” McCann’s parents are touring Europe in a bid to put in place a similar child abduction alert in Europe.