The aviation industry raised concerns about an NAB-supported FCC proposal to allow increased power for digital FM, in comments posted in docket 22-405 for Thursday’s deadline. Interference from FM digital broadcasting at the upper end of the 88-108 MHz band” could disrupt the operations of navigation and landing systems and “present a significant safety hazard," said the Air Line Pilots Association, International in comments echoed by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), the Aerospace Industries Association and others. GAMA is in talks with NAB about the matter, filings said. Though comments in the docket show wide support for the FCC proposals from broadcasters, NPR, Cumulus and REC Networks also raised concerns about interference and notifications.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announces additions of Johannes Bauer, on leave from Michigan State University, as chief economist (see 2309210034), and Jonathan Uriarte, ex-office of Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as press secretary, succeeding Paloma Perez, who rises to communications director; and promotion of Will Wiquist to deputy director-communications, succeeding Anne Veigle (see 2309050069); and departures of longtime staffers Michael Carowitz, most recently deputy chief-Enforcement Bureau, and Tracey Weisler, senior adviser-International Bureau, who's taking a teaching position at Stanford University; Rosenworcel also announces Office of Economics and Analytics’ Lester Roberts as Excellence in Engineering Award winner for work on making emergency alert system more resilient and Media Bureau’s John Gabrysch as the Excellence in Economic Analysis Award winner for work in developing tools and methods for analyzing interference in the AM radio service.
The FCC activated the disaster information reporting system for eight counties in Maine and two in Massachusetts for Hurricane Lee, said a public notice Friday. DIRS Reports were due starting Sunday. The alert encompasses Cumberland, Hancock, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Washington, and York counties in Maine, and Barnstable and Nantucket in Massachusetts. The agency also issued public notices on emergency contact procedures for licensees that need special temporary authority, priority communications services and on 24-hour availability of FCC staff. The Public Safety Bureau sent a reminder to entities working to clear debris and repair utilities to avoid damaging communications infrastructure.
Low-power broadcasters WWOO-LD Boston and XGen Network demonstrated an alternative to ATSC 3.0 in a livestream Wednesday by using 5G broadcast technology to send a television signal to a cellphone, airing a news broadcast and an emergency alert. WWOO is the only station broadcasting 5G in the U.S., and does so under an FCC experimental license. Though the tech is far behind ATSC 3.0 in implementation, it has been accepted by international cellular standards-making body 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and is expected to be receivable in next-generation mobile devices without additional hardware -- unlike 3.0, say 5G broadcast advocates. 3.0 “is a much more robust program right now,” but “we can get into cellphones,” said XGen CEO Frank Copsidas, who also heads the LPTV Broadcasters Association.
Florida and the communications industry are preparing for Idalia, a tropical storm that's expected to develop into a major hurricane before it makes landfall on the Gulf Coast in days. “It will become a hurricane ... without question,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) at a Monday news conference in Largo, Florida. “Buckle up for this one.”
The wireless industry asked the FCC to go slow on major changes to wireless emergency alerts, in reply comments posted Tuesday in docket 15-91. Commenters also raised privacy concerns. A Further NPRM, approved by commissioners 4-0 in April, proposed to require participating providers to ensure mobile devices can translate alerts into the 13 most commonly spoken languages in the U.S. aside from English, to send thumbnail-sized images in WEA messages, and other changes (see 2304200040).
The FCC activated the disaster information reporting system for seven counties in California for Tropical Storm Hilary, said a public notice Sunday. Reports were due starting Monday. The alert includes Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and San Diego counties. The agency also issued public notices on emergency contact procedures for licensees that need special temporary authority, priority communications services and on 24-hour availability of FCC staff. The Public Safety Bureau sent a reminder to entities working to clear debris and repair utilities to avoid damaging communications infrastructure.
Carriers welcome the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s plans for an Oct. 4 test of the wireless emergency alert system, with a nationwide emergency alert system test the same day. The FCC is examining possible changes to WEA, including requiring participating providers to ensure mobile devices can translate alerts into the 13 most commonly spoken languages in the U.S. aside from English, and to send thumbnail-sized images in WEA messages. Industry said some of the changes would be difficult to quickly implement (see 2307240045). Replies are due Monday in docket 15-91.
The FCC agreed Thursday to a Federal Emergency Management Agency request (see 2308020047) for a waiver to do a national test of the wireless emergency alert system Oct. 4. FEMA will also do a nationwide emergency alert system test the same day. All commercial mobile service (CMS) providers that participate in the WEA program are required to participate, said a notice from the Public Safety Bureau. “FEMA will initiate the test of WEA at 2:18 pm EDT ... using the National Alert classification of Alert Message,” the bureau said: “Members of the public with mobile device service from a CMS provider that participates in WEA in their areas will receive the test message, which will read ‘THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.’ The WEA alert will be transmitted in both English and Spanish in both 90 and 360 character sets.” The nationwide test of the EAS starts at 2:20 p.m. EDT. The test will use the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System and “be disseminated in English and Spanish as a Common Alerting Protocol message using the Nationwide Test of the Emergency Alert System code," the bureau said. If conditions on that date require rescheduling of the tests, they will be done Oct. 11, the bureau said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency asked the FCC for a limited waiver of the agency's wireless emergency alert rules, allowing a national test Oct. 4. The test would start at 2:18 p.m. EDT and “involve sending a WEA message to the entire United States and U.S. territories,” FEMA said: “The 87-character test message to be displayed on cellular handsets will read: THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” FEMA said it would be the third national WEA test and “is necessary because it will determine if carrier WEA configuration, systems, and networks can and will process a National Level WEA delivering the message via all WEA enabled cell sites with minimal latency.” The FEMA letter is dated July 21 but was posted Tuesday in docket 15-91.