Early results of the third nationwide test of the emergency alert system Wednesday indicate few problems and a response in line with expectations, according to interviews with officials from broadcast and pay-TV EAS participants, state EAS representatives and the equipment industry. Roughly half the participants received the alert through the internet-based Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) and half through the older, broadcast-based system, as expected (see 1708250053).

The FCC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency had scheduled a nationwide test of the emergency alert system at 2:20 p.m. EDT Wednesday, said FEMA and the FCC in a joint reminder Monday. "Periodic testing of public alert and warning systems helps to assess the operational readiness of alerting infrastructure, and to identify any needed technological and administrative improvements," FEMA said. Broadcasters will have to file a quick report within 24 hours of the test, and a more-detailed report by Nov. 13, reminded Davis Wright in a blog post. The FCC said broadcasters affected by recent hurricanes have until then to file both reports (see 1709220061).

The FCC said Friday 95.4 percent of cellsites were still out of service in Puerto Rico, though downed cellsites in the U.S. Virgin Islands dropped to 68.9 percent from 76.6 percent. Puerto Rico's two public safety answering points were functioning normally according to the primary service provider, and in USVI, the St. Croix 911 call center is apparently down, reported the FCC. "Since there are widespread power outages in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the FCC has received reports that large percentages of consumers are without either cable services or wireline service (one company reported that 100% of its consumers are out of service due to lack of commercial power). There are at least 10 switches that are out of service due to either SS7 or toll isolation." One Puerto Rico TV station reported being off-air; others haven't yet reported, nor have radio stations. The Public Safety Bureau granted Puerto Rico's request to accept its late-filed renewal application for its 700 MHz state license under call sign WPTZ852. The FCC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency plan to conduct a nationwide test of the emergency alert system Wednesday at 2:20 p.m. EDT, noted a commission public notice. The bureau gave EAS participants affected by 2017 hurricanes an extension from Sept. 27 to Nov. 13 for filing corrections to EAS test reporting system Form 1. Thursday, the Wireline Bureau waived a numbering reassignment rule for providers affected by hurricanes Maria and Jose.

Conducting the nationwide emergency alert system test following hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose and Maria “will provide insight into the resiliency of our national-level alerting capabilities in impacted areas,” the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a news release Tuesday. The test is set for Sept. 27 at 2:20 p.m., but could be moved to Oct. 4 if the September date is canceled because of another emergency. The EAS test also will provide data on how the Integrated Public Alerts and Warning System performs “during and following a variety of conditions,” the agency said. “With two major hurricanes already making landfall, and a potential for two more impacting our nation, we need to have the ability to maintain the continuity of critical infrastructure under various conditions.”

Motorola Mobility agrees with the FCC's “tentative conclusion” that the ATSC 3.0 transition needs no tuner mandate, and so is “concerned about calls from some parties (none of them equipment manufacturers)” that the commission require 3.0 receivers in smartphones, the company said in an ex parte letter posted Wednesday in docket 16-142.

Friday heading into the three-day Labor Day weekend saw the FCC issue a slew of announcements, including one after business hours. Similar moves in the past drew fire as seemingly aimed at avoiding attention. Now, the actions raised the eyebrows of one open governance expert. Others defended the agency.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long names Field Operations Directorate Assistant Administrator Michael Byrne federal disaster recovery coordinator for Storm Harvey-hit (see 1709010042) areas ... Utilities Technology Council hires Rob Thormeyer, ex-aide to then-Federal Energy Regulatory Commission member Colette Honorable and before that at NARUC, as its first director-communications and advocacy ... Last Mile Communications CEO Peter Kahelin, a founding partner, retires effective in Q4, and will be non-executive chairman ... Cox Media Group moves up Paul Curran to market vice president-Orlando.

Southeast Texas won't quickly recover after Tropical Storm Harvey damaged and flooded 911 facilities and utility infrastructure (see 1708290029 and 1708280049), emergency and utility officials said in interviews last week. Surging numbers of calls overwhelmed public service answering points (PSAPs) used to far fewer requests, said one official. Industry officials said providers are working together and continue to restore service and assist with relief. The FAA cleared drones to fly into the area.

If the FCC implements Blue Alerts into the wireless emergency alert system, it should do so in a way that minimizes technical changes and system modifications, said T-Mobile and CTIA in reply comments in docket 15-94. The FCC should integrate the BLU code into the existing “imminent threat” alert class to avoid having to create a new standard, CTIA said. Giving the alerts a new message classification would be “a lengthy process,” T-Mobile said. The FCC shouldn’t look at ATSC 3.0 as a solution for mobile alerts, T-Mobile said: “There are significant technical challenges to integrating ATSC 3.0 technology into mobile devices, and the benefits represented are either overstated, are already provided through WEA, or are not readily achievable.”

The majority of emergency alert system Law Enforcement Warnings were about notification of road closures and non-emergency traffic disruptions, making it unacceptable to use in lieu of creating a new Blue Alert code to warn about dangers to police officers, said the DOJ Office of Community Oriented Policing Services in reply comments in FCC docket 15-94. “There is often a perceived lack of urgency associated with the LEW event code,” the COPS Office said. “A dedicated EAS event code for Blue Alerts would streamline Blue Alert plans across the nation and will help to integrate existing plans into a coordinated national framework, the COPS Office said. "Such a code would also serve as the central and organizing element for Blue Alert plans coast-to-coast and greatly facilitate the work of the National Blue Alert Network.”