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HD Radio expanded to motorbikes, said parent Xperi Monday. HD Radio receivers are available on the digital dash display of the 2022 BMW R 18 Transcontinental. The system, for AM and FM, broadcasts a digital signal over traditional radio frequencies, allowing for up to three additional channels of separate audio programming, along with improved “static-fee” sound quality, emergency alerts and metadata. HD Radio receivers have had an estimated 85-plus billion listening hours in cars since 2005; over 95% of all Americans are able to receive an HD Radio signal, Xperi said.
New Orleans and nearby Louisiana parishes faced 911 outages Monday after Hurricane Ida hit, local authorities reported. Ida caused “significant impacts” to AT&T's Louisiana network due to “massive power outages and storm damage,” the carrier said Monday. The FCC disaster information reporting system (DIRS) was activated Sunday for affected counties in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. Staffers were deployed “to assess the post-landfall impact to communications networks and to assist in efforts to restore service as quickly as possible,” acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Saturday before landfall: “We know the reality of the danger from this kind of hurricane all too well.”
The three major national wireless carriers reported problems during the recent nationwide wireless emergency alert test, but they said the system mostly worked as expected. The FCC posted reports from Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T Thursday, in docket 15-94. Some glitches were observed during the test earlier this month (see 2108110067). In the first national test in 2018, many alerts didn’t go through (see 1812210056).
Comments are due Oct.19, replies Nov. 18, in docket 15-94 on an FCC Further NPRM on recommendations to improve the emergency alert system, said a public notice listed in Wednesday’s Daily Digest. The FNPRM stems from a unanimous FCC vote in June (see 2106170063).
The Alarm Industry Communications Committee and alarm companies asked the FCC to direct AT&T to pause a planned 3G data termination sunset, now planned for Feb. 22, until the end of next year. AICC and members said they won’t be ready for the change next year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the chip shortage and other issues. The FCC said initial comments are due Aug. 30.
Xperi’s HD Radio is expanding into the commercial truck category, said the company Monday. Receivers will be available first on the digital dash display of the Mercedes-Benz Freightliner Cascadia truck, said the company. HD Radio’s digital broadcast system sends a signal over traditional AM and FM frequencies, allowing up to three additional channels of new audio programming, along with information such as album art, station logos, song and artist information, traffic, weather and critical emergency alerts.
The 2021 nationwide emergency alert system and wireless emergency alert tests appeared to go smoothly in some places but faced reception and transmission difficulties elsewhere, according to anecdotal evidence and early reports from EAS officials. Numerous stations that received their EAS feed from iHeart subsidiary Premiere Radio Networks broadcast a message without an audio alert, several State Emergency Communications Committee chairs told us. “It didn’t go very well,” said Kansas SECC Chair Roy Baum. Reception of the opt-in only WEA test appeared to be inconsistent, but it’s difficult to know if those who didn’t get the message had their phones correctly configured to do so, said Alaska SECC Chair Dennis Bookey.
Most mobile phones won't display the wireless emergency alert test message during Wednesday’s nationwide tests of WEA and the emergency alert system, said a joint FCC and Federal Emergency Management Agency news release Monday. The tests will be at 2:20 p.m. EDT (see 2107260043). The message will be received only by “specially configured phones” that have been opted in to receive test messages, FEMA said. “In contrast, consumers will automatically receive real emergency alerts on compatible phones (even if they do not receive the test message),” said the release. Instructions on how to opt in are on the FCC’s website. The WEA message will read “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” The broadcast EAS audio message will include the phrase “No action is required” and will be accompanied by a visual message on televisions. FEMA and the FCC are partnering with the National Weather Service and several state and local emergency management agencies on the test, the release said.
ESPN faces a proposed $20,000 fine for emergency alert system tones in a documentary on the Alabama Crimson Tide-Auburn Tigers football rivalry that was shown in October, an FCC Enforcement Bureau notice of apparent liability said Friday. ESPN didn't comment.