The FCC plans at its June 24 meeting to consider an NPRM aimed at streamlining and increasing the transparency of executive branch reviews involving commission license/permit applicants with foreign ownership interests. The FCC also plans to vote at the meeting on an order to require undersea cable operator licensees to report communications network outages, said a tentative agenda issued Friday. Also on tap is an order on hurricane alerts.
Google Fiber supports FCC efforts to make state emergency alert system plans more electronically accessible, company executives said in a phone meeting Tuesday with Public Safety Bureau staff, according to an ex parte filing posted Thursday in docket 15-91. "Greater accessibility and uniformity of State EAS Plan information would ease participation by new entrants."
Seismic Warning Systems (SWS) representatives told FCC officials they developed technology that provides quick alerts when earthquakes strike. SWS reported on a meeting with FCC officials as the agency develops a report to Congress on warning systems. CTIA and AT&T told the FCC the wireless emergency alert (WEA) system used by carriers wasn't set up to send almost-immediate warnings (see 1605100054). “SWS has developed and deployed technology that provides users with alerts of pending seismic activity,” the company said in a filing in docket 16-32. “Our offerings have been in commercial use for the past 15 years -- primarily in California -- and during that time, the SWS technology has developed an exceptional track record in terms of maximizing alert times and eliminating false positives.”
CTIA warned the FCC that the use of the wireless emergency alert (WEA) system to send earthquake warnings to people in less than three seconds is likely a nonstarter. Congress asked the FCC to file a report on deployment of earthquake early warning (EEW) systems by Sept. 18 (see 1604080057) and comments were due at the FCC Monday in docket 16-32.
The deadline was extended an additional month for comments on an FCC NPRM on strengthening state and local involvement in the emergency alert system, said a Public Safety Bureau public notice released Thursday. Comments are now due June 8, replies July 8, the PN said. The extension was granted after requests from the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations and the Broadcast Warning Working Group (see 1604290032). Though NASBA had asked for a 45-day extension, the bureau said 30 days was sufficient.
Florida's St. George Cable agreed to pay $2,500 for failing to install and maintain operational emergency alert system equipment, to operate its cable system within required signal leakage limits, to immediately suspend operations as directed by the FCC Enforcement Bureau and to register the cable system with the FCC, the bureau said in an order and consent decree Friday.
The cable industry is leveling both barrels at FCC-proposed set-top box rules. The American Cable Association and NCTA said they likely would pursue legal redress in response to agency implementation. "I've seen very few things I'm this confident contravene the express wishes of Congress," NCTA CEO Michael Powell said Thursday in a call with media.
CTIA representatives warned the FCC it’s premature for the agency to focus on wireless emergency alert (WEA) rules in the context of 5G when 5G is still evolving. “CTIA and members also noted the uncertainty regarding the timing of ubiquitous deployment of 5G networks and its implications for WEA,” said a filing on the meeting in docket 15-91. The FCC proposed at its November meeting to allow longer WEA messages, inclusion of hyperlinks and narrower distribution of alerts (see 1511190053). CTIA and its members also warned about an FCC proposal to embed information in alerts. “CTIA and carriers explained their concerns over network congestion that could result from an untold number of wireless subscribers simultaneously attempting to access embedded URLs or phone numbers from a WEA message,” the filing said. “The parties discussed the complexity that would be introduced in trying to manage the impact on wireless providers’ networks.” While the proceeding “provides an opportunity for all stakeholders to consider ways to further enhance the WEA system, the Commission should only adopt rules that maintain the simplicity and success of the WEA program for wireless providers, local alert originators, and wireless subscribers,” the filing said. Representatives of AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon met with staff from the FCC Public Safety Bureau.
The FCC is giving an early glimpse at the emergency alert system (EAS) test reporting system (ETRS) to be launched later this year. In a public notice Monday, the Public Safety Bureau released some details on the ETRS format and features. The bureau said the ETRS' aim is increased EAS reliability through accurate charting of "what happened in a particular test," plus letting state alert originators and State Emergency Communication committees plan for how an alert will propagate for purposes of identifying problems like single points of failure or coverage gaps. The bureau said a PN announcing the ETRS launch will include a URL for ETRS registration. Monday's PN included screen captures and descriptions of the various ETRS pages and how they will work, walking through the identifier fields and EAS designations of the forms there. Form Two, for day-of-test reporting, has to be done within 24 hours of a nationwide EAS test or as required by the bureau, it said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is planning a nationwide emergency alert system test on Sept. 28, said a letter to FCC Public Safety Bureau Chief David Simpson filed Monday in docket 15-94. A previous nationwide test in 2011 had numerous glitches (see 1111180055). FEMA didn't comment Monday.