Wireless Industry Favors Flexible Approach to EAS
The wireless industry wants a voluntary approach to the creation of an effective, ubiquitous public alert system, said industry sources. Industry wants to improve the emergency alert system (EAS) but hopes the govt. sees the wireless platform’s benefits and limitations, sources said.
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Without preliminary conclusions, the FCC asked whether it should make wireless carriers provide alerts and warnings. “Wireless products are becoming an equal to television and radio as an avenue to reach the American public quickly and efficiently,” the FCC said in an order released last week. It asked “what further steps should the Commission take to facilitate wireless provision of alert and warning.”
“Industry is hoping the FCC will give it enough flexibility and enough time to deploy EAS services,” an industry source said. “The industry looks forward to working with FEMA, Congress and the FCC on this important issue to explain the benefits and limitations of incorporating wireless in EAS,” another industry source said.
The industry last year opposed the original FCC proposal to expand the EAS requirement to wireless technologies. It said CMRS technologies aren’t designed for such broadcast-type transmissions as EAS seems to require. Instead, CTIA argued “voluntary cooperation” is key to updating EAS technology. CTIA urged the FCC to promote a “collaborative working environment among the stakeholders, including wireless, to work quickly and effectively” to build a ubiquitous EAS. Some in industry, including LogicaCMG, back a point to multipoint, or cell broadcast, approach to wireless alert. The FCC wants comment on that and other approaches.
The problem with cell broadcast technology is that it has a standard developed for GSM systems only, an industry source said. That creates problems for CDMA carriers like Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel, the source said. LogicaCMG said in comments last year cell broadcasting technology is a standard feature in all GSM networks but is also available through CDMA. It said cell alerts are broadcast over a dedicated alert channel, preventing network congestion from keeping messages from reaching the public.
Complying with a new national alert system program’s requirements would carry considerable cost for industry, sources said. “EAS is probably going to require use of new handsets and that is going to be a challenge for carriers,” an industry source said. “Legislation and regulation will need to expressly address cost recovery mechanisms in a manner that allows solutions to be win- win-win for the government, the public and the industry,” 3G Americas Pres. Chris Pearson told FCC officials at an ex parte meeting. The FCC wants comments on whether customers would need to return and replace their handsets and whether the financial impact of returning handsets would offset the public benefit of wireless alerts.
The industry is 6 months into a pilot study led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, sources said. The pilot Digital Emergency Alert System program involves major wireless carriers, the Assn. of Public TV Stations and PBS. T-Mobile said this year it had been able to receive and retransmit emergency alert messages to some wireless phones. “We are trying to work out something that works for everybody,” an industry source said. A recently launched Amber alert system “is an example of how this could work,” the source said. The FCC seeks comments on what role it should play in those FEMA efforts.