FCC Adopts NPRM Aimed at Making Wireless Emergency Alert Improvements
The FCC proposed rules intended to improve wireless emergency alert (WEA) effectiveness in informing the public about urgent matters. At their Thursday meeting, commissioners voted 5-0 to approve an NPRM. It sought comment on allowing longer WEA messages, inclusion of hyperlinks and narrower distribution of alerts, as was expected (see 1511170049).
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Chairman Tom Wheeler said the world is a “dangerous place” and wireless alerts already are saving lives. He and others suggested alerts need to be relevant to wireless users or they will often ignore them. “Longer messages and more targeted geography” in distribution will improve the emergency alerts and increase their impact, said Wheeler. He said he had disregarded alerts "many times," particularly when he's out of town.
Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said he generally had no immediate concerns, but urged the commission to strike a balance in making changes. He said the system was already working pretty well and he voiced concern about discouraging industry participation. He said the FCC “maybe” could make things better, but “definitely” could “screw things up.”
The NPRM proposed: to increase the maximum length of WEA messages from 90 to 360 characters; to enable embedded phone numbers and URLs; to create a new class of alerts (“Emergency Government Information”) for sending “action-oriented public safety advisories” (e.g., to boil water or seek shelter due to storms); to require more granular geographic distribution of alerts; and to make it easier for state and local authorities to test WEA service and train personnel. It also sought comment on the feasibility of including “multilingual information and multimedia alerting” and steps to improve public participation, including options for personalizing WEA messages, said an FCC release. The NPRM text was also released Thursday.
Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel noted the Paris terror attacks and cited the importance of mobile phones to consumers. Clyburn hailed the NPRM proposals to enhance the content of messages, improve the “geo-targeting” of alerts, and facilitate system testing by local authorities. Rosenworcel said the U.S. now has more mobile phones than people, making an update of wireless alerts even more important: “They need to be refreshed to reflect our reliance on mobile devices and their unique ability to keep us informed when disaster strikes.”
Commissioner Ajit Pai noted the first Amber Alert over the WEA system in Minneapolis in 2013 helped rescue an 8-month-old boy who had been kidnapped. “Whether it’s a missing child, severe weather, or terrorist attack, Americans need immediate access to emergency information," he said. He particularly welcomed the proposals for more precise geographic targeting, inclusion of phone number and hyperlinks, and allowing consumers to customize the information they receive.
CTIA said wireless providers had voluntary embraced the WEA program since 2012, distributing more than 20,000 alerts from government authorities that saved lives and protected citizens. “In this successful public-private partnership, CTIA and the wireless industry worked with the FCC, [Federal Emergency Management Agency] and numerous alerting authorities to enhance and improve the efficacy of the WEA system,” said Scott Bergmann, vice president-regulatory affairs. “Several of the proposals in today’s NPRM reflect these efforts.”