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Communication regulator considers changes to extend reach of national alerting system

The CRTC launched a review of Alert Ready on Dec. 22, 2025, soliciting comments on wireless alerting gaps, English and French distribution, and possible Indigenous language additions.
A June 2025 memo and expert review raised viability concerns as rural associations say NPAS alerts often fail to reach farmers, travellers and Indigenous communities.
Rural and Indigenous groups proposed infrastructure upgrades with ISPs, minimum wireless coverage, co-governance, Indigenous-language alerts, and civil-society cautions about a national app's rural effectiveness.
Public Safety recently launched a formal request for information, with the federal budget promising $55.4 million over four years starting in 2026-27 and $13.4 million ongoing, while Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski updated provincial and territorial ministers last month.
The Canadian Red Cross highlighted risks for people without devices or reliable connectivity, noting device access may be impossible for low-income people and people with disabilities; Communications firm BCE Inc. warned new costs could imperil local radio and television stations.

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