THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION approved technical guidelines for a voluntary mobile phone emergency alert system, but the new public warning regime still lacks a federal coordinator.
Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. initially indicated they plan to participate in the program, whose technical requirements are based on recommendations of a federal advisory committee.
“Verizon Wireless applauds the decision by the FCC on the national emergency alert program,” said Steven Zipperstein, VP and general counsel at Verizon Wireless. “Wireless customers have come to rely on their mobile devices, especially in emergency situations, and this action by the FCC is a significant step toward ensuring alerts that serve the public interest will soon be available to wireless users.”
The government-industry mobile alert advisory panel was created by legislation signed into law by President Bush in 2006. Other major carriers also are expected to offer subscribers emergency text messages.
Legal glitch
The FCC said wireless carriers that opt in must comply with rules within 10 months from the date that a federal agency has been publicly designated to collect and transmit the alerts to the wireless carriers. That component – a critical one supplementing an existing, Cold War-era emergency warning system based on television, radio and cable TV technologies – was thrown into question after the Federal Emergency Management Agency earlier this year urged the FCC to delay key decisions in the rulemaking because of a legal glitch.
FEMA, a unit of the Department of Homeland Security, wrote the FCC in February that a 2006 presidential executive order gives it delegated authority over the emergency alert system involving presidential activations, but that it lacks authority during non-emergency periods to be involved with critical components of the commercial mobile alert system, including aggregator and gateway functions as well the trust model, when warnings are issued by non-federal agencies.
“By adopting technical requirements for the wireless alerting system today, we are enabling wireless providers that choose to participate in this system to begin designing their networks to deliver mobile alerts,” said FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. “It would have been better, of course, if we had a federal entity in place now to take on the role of alert aggregator and gateway. We are hopeful that we have initiated the dialogue that will allow an appropriate federal entity to assume that central role in an expeditious manner.”
Michael Copps, one of two Democrats on the GOP-led FCC, was more direct and forceful in addressing the FEMA issue.
“The unwillingness of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fulfill this role is especially disheartening because FEMA representatives were intimately involved in developing the idea of a unified federal gateway/aggregator,” said Copps. “In fact, not until long after the die was cast, did FEMA suggest that it would be unable for statutory and other reasons to perform this key function. Specifically, it was less than two months ago – after the advisory committee had made its recommendation and after FEMA’s representative had voted in favor of the unified federal gateway/ aggregator scheme – before FEMA raised any objection to assuming this responsibility.
“So now we are left without a firm candidate for a position that is essential to getting this system off the ground. In light of FEMA’s recent and unexpected interpretation of its statutory authority, the commission’s only remaining option is to work with its fellow agencies and the Congress to find a federal entity that can fulfill this function.” Copps suggested the FCC take the lead if FEMA or another federal agency does not move fast enough to get the new wireless alert system on track.
Carrier choices
The FCC will allow each participating mobile phone operators to choose its own technical solution for deploying emergency warnings to their customers. The agency made special provisions for disabled individuals by requiring wireless carriers that decide to offer alert service to transmit messages with both vibration cadence and audio attention signals.
Wireless companies and government officials have all but buried short message service as a means to deliver wireless emergency warnings. AT&T Mobility, the largest mobile phone carrier, has stated that cell broadcast technologies may turn out to be the best solution for mass distribution of emergency notifications on mobile phone networks.
“We are excited about the prospect of moving into the implementation phase of the most comprehensive emergency notification system in the history of the United States,” said Paul Klein, COO of CellCast Technologies. “We commend the FCC and wireless carriers for moving forward with this tremendous humanitarian project.”
The Houston-based firm’s cell broadcast solution currently supports wireless alert service offered by Einstein Wireless, a GSM mobile phone carrier based in Appleton, Wis. The technology also drivers mobile phone alert systems in South Korea and the Netherlands.
“In the best interest of the general public, we should not wait until 2010 when more lives could be lost due to hurricanes, tornados and other disasters or crises while a proven technology already exists and can be implemented nationwide immediately,” said Klein. But, he conceded, there are thorny money issues. “The single largest hurdle in implementing cell broadcast technology is a funding mechanism to cover the costs of deployment by the wireless carriers and the local, state and federal agencies involved in overseeing or originating emergency messages.”
Three forms of alerts
The FCC said consumers will be able receive three kinds of messages on their cellphones and on other wireless devices, including presidential alerts encompassing national emergency-related alerts delivered to the American public that would preempt any other pending alerts; imminent threat alerts with information on emergencies that may pose an imminent risk to people’s lives or wellbeing; and child abduction emergency/AMBER Alerts related to missing or endangered children due to an abduction or runaway situation.
Under new rules, wireless subscribers whose service providers have roaming agreements will receive alerts so long as their mobile devices are technically capable of receiving such emergency alerts from the network on which they are roaming.
The FCC while host a summit May 19 on modernizing the nation’s current emergency alert system.
