Wireless Emergency Alert System Moving Forward, But Questions Linger
The second stage of a pilot program to design a national wireless emergency alert system has been completed, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS).
“This project demonstrates how the capabilities of America’s public broadcasters can be utilized to dramatically enhance the ability of the President of the United States to communicate with the American public during a national crisis,” reports APTS President John Lawson.
However, the question of what technology will be chosen to distribute mass wireless alerts remains unanswered. Homeland Security appears to be gravitating toward a cell broadcast solution that the U.S. mobile phone industry has so far rebuffed, though it has found favor in countries such as South Korea and Holland.
DHS-FEMA have pledged $5 million by the end of 2007 to implement the digital emergency management system across 356 public TV stations. The FCC is tasked with crafting emergency regulations and enforcing them as they relate to radio, television, and cable TV operators. Bills pending in the House and Senate seek to upgrade the emergency alert system so that wireless and other popular communications technologies are accounted for.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the RCR Wireless News (07/13/06); Silva, Jeffrey .