FCC Requires Carriers Transmit Longer, Enhanced Emergency Alerts

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said wireless carriers must transmit enhanced wireless emergency alerts to subscribers. After delays, major carriers are expected to immediately be able to transmit the new, improved alerts on their WEA platforms, industry officials said Thursday. Last week, the commission announced the Federal Emergency Management Agency told the FCC the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System wasn’t ready to support wireless emergency alerts by what was to be the Dec. 13 deadline (see 1912130059). The original deadline in a 2016 FCC order was May 1. The FCC also made the requirement official.

The enhancements include more accurate alerts. Participating carriers must now deliver messages to the area specified by the alert originator with no more than a 0.1 mile overshoot, rather than previous “best approximation” standard. Carriers must be able to send longer alerts, 360 vs. 90 characters, alerts in Spanish and a new alert type -- public safety messages, to transmit information like the location of emergency shelters after a disaster.

The FCC is right to "modernize public safety alerting,” said Dan Henry, director-government affairs National Emergency Number Association: “Increasing WEA’s precision, capacity, diversity, and testing will improve Americans’ ability to keep themselves safe and will undoubtedly save lives.” This “will lead to significant public safety benefits,” emailed APCO CEO Derek Poarch. The group worked with emergency managers to seek these changes, and to seek "further enhancements such as multimedia messages,” he said.

Enhanced WEAs “will make it an even more powerful tool in the toolbox for public safety officials,” said Matthew Gerst, CTIA vice president-regulatory. Members and FEMA are working together on this, he noted. The Competitive Carriers Association declined to comment.

"T-Mobile is committed to public safety and keeping customers informed during an emergency," a spokesperson emailed: "We are ready to provide WEA 2.0 and 3.0 emergency alerts in line with FCC requirements, including the provision for more targeted notifications and for alerts to be delivered in Spanish."

AT&T has launched its new alerting platform, a spokesperson said. Other carriers didn't comment.

“One of my key public safety priorities has been to ensure that America’s emergency alerting system meets the needs of public safety officials and the communities they serve,” Pai said.