Pai Asks Industry to Commit to Further Work on Geotargeted WEAs

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai pressured the wireless industry to step up work on geotargeting for wireless emergency alerts, in letters sent Thursday. Commissioners approved an order 5-0 in 2018 (see 1801300027) imposing a Nov. 30, 2019, deadline for carriers to more accurately “geo-target” wireless emergency alerts. Pai asked ATIS to task its Wireless Technologies Systems Committee “with producing best practices that refine … discretionary parameters to further improve enhanced WEA geo-targeting.” The best practices should include the recommended frequency for retransmitting WEAs, the recommended number of location checks devices should perform when determining whether to display an alert, the recommended time devices should wait to get a fix on their location during each check and “the recommended processes to ensure that WEA-capable mobile devices display WEAs received during active voice or data sessions when the device is located within the targeted geographic area,” Pai said. He asked for a document by Q2. A letter to CTIA asked for annual updates, beginning in July, on industry’s “estimates of current and projected market penetration rates of mobile devices that support enhanced WEA geo-targeting." Pai noted CTIA recently informed commission staff that some 18% of active smartphones now support enhanced WEA geotargeting. Pai sought a commitment by Oct. 1. A letter to Qualcomm noted “the availability of enhanced WEA geo-targeting is dependent upon the capabilities of the mobile device’s chipset, many of which are produced by Qualcomm.” Pai asked for a commitment by Oct. 1 that “all Qualcomm-enabled 5G devices currently sold, and to be sold, in the United States will support enhanced WEA geo-targeting -- as Qualcomm has communicated previously to FCC staff.” Public Safety Bureau Chief Lisa Fowlkes blogged that geotargeting is an important enhancement to WEAs, launched in 2012. “We expect the improvement to become more widely available over time, as consumers purchase new smartphones,” she said.