Toyota urged the FCC to change the limits for radiated emissions in the 76-77 GHz band to allow more use of “stop and go” adaptive cruise control (ACC) and rear pre-collision (RPCS) systems in the cars it manufactures for sale in the U.S. (http://xrl.us/bk2qij). In a May 25 rulemaking notice, the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology sought comment on whether the commission should modify its rules for the band with an eye on improved collision avoidance and driver safety (http://xrl.us/bk2qje).
EAS participants are DBS, all broadcasters and satellite radio, and all cable systems.
The FCC should write a fallback plan in case some wireless carriers refuse to support mobile alert technology, Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Calif., said at a Friday hearing of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications. Richardson is the subcommittee’s ranking member. But FCC and CTIA witnesses said market forces are pushing carriers to voluntarily support the Commercial Mobile Alert Service, also known as the Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN). The service, designed to send text-message alerts to people in disaster areas, is scheduled to rollout nationwide next April. Legislators also raised concerns about privacy and training issues related to mobile alerts.
U.S. officials asked emergency alert system vendors to take security safeguards as they equip customers to handle new warning messages that can be more easily transmitted across multiple media. “Responsibility does not go away with delivery to vendor,” said a slide from a government webcast Wednesday on the integrated public alert and warning system’s open platform for emergency networks. “Detection of unauthorized use will cause access to IPAWS-OPEN to be removed.” Such users “are decertified immediately,” system architect Gary Ham said on the webcast. “Be careful of the use” of certification, he added. The webcast was hosted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Last year it finished work on Common Alerting Protocol, which the FCC is implementing for all radio and TV stations and subscription-video providers.
Comments on changes to FCC emergency alert system rules for a new common alerting protocol are due July 20, replies Aug. 4, in docket 04-296, the commission said in a notice in Monday’s Federal Register. Commissioners approved a rulemaking notice in May on the alerts, which apply to satellite video and radio and cable and broadcast TV (CD May 27 p4).
The FCC and Federal Emergency Management Agency will conduct the first “top to bottom” nationwide test of the emergency alert system on Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. EST, both agencies said Thursday. The test is expected to last up to three and a half minutes. The government will base the national test on two EAS tests the government recently conducted in Alaska (CD Feb 3 p5).
Comcast faces a possible fine for not sending emergency alerts to all subscribers at its Florence, Ala., cable system, the FCC said Tuesday. A $16,000 notice of apparent liability from the Enforcement Bureau said a customer complained to the agency in January over not getting an emergency alert system message that was issued during a real emergency. Comcast in response acknowledged that some subscribers to the system didn’t get audio and visual EAS messages for several months because of an employee error, though most did get them, the bureau noted.
A new PBS emergency alert system pilot project using mobile DTV capability could be a model for a next-generation warning system, public broadcasting executives said in interviews. Over the next year, the system will be tested and evaluated with participation from WGBH-TV Boston, Alabama Public TV and Vegas PBS, said John McCoskey, PBS chief technology officer. The system requires devices that are common alerting protocol (CAP)-compliant and will use text, images and video to issue messages, he said. The project is part of a partnership with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and LG Zenith, both of which are helping fund the project, said McCoskey.
The FCC asked whether it should extend for a second time a deadline for all radio and TV stations and subscription-video providers to start using a new government standard for emergency warnings. In a long-awaited rulemaking notice released Thursday afternoon, the commission asked dozens of questions on certification of emergency alert systems as complying with the new standards from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, deadlines and what’s technically needed to trigger alerts. The FCC tentatively concluded that existing EAS equipment can be used for the new standards and expects to start an inquiry on broadband alerting later this year.
SCTE said Wednesday it has approved development of three standards designed to help cable operators deploy new products, reduce costs and provide services that comply with regulatory requirements. The new standards will cover stereoscopic 3D for cable, environmental requirements for equipment to be used within cable facilities; and recommended practices for emergency alert system upgrades for common alerting protocol compliance (CAP), SCTE said. The stereoscopic 3D project will be a two-stage effort with phase one defining video-related formatting, signaling and encoding parameters for frame-compatible stereoscopic 3D. Phase two will define requirements for full-resolution stereoscopic 3D video systems. The environmental requirements standard will address energy efficiency, recycling, air flow and quality, temperature, humidity, vibration and shock, electrical/power and electromagnetic compatibility. The emergency alert system compliance recommended practice is designed to help small operators meet the FCC’s Sept. 30 deadline for compliance with CAP regulations, SCTE said.