NCTA: Changing National Emergency Code Could Affect Older Set-tops

The FCC shouldn’t modify or replace the emergency action notification (EAN) code used for alerting in nationwide emergencies, said NCTA in an ex parte call with the Public Safety Bureau Tuesday, according to a filing Thursday in docket 15-94. “The EAN code is substantially different” from other emergency alert system codes “in that it is hard-wired into downstream equipment” such as set-top boxes, NCTA said. “Thus, any changes to the EAN code would be difficult to implement.” Modifying the code was among several proposals the FCC floated last year for updating emergency alerting (see 2110200065). Cable set-top boxes have about a 10-year lifecycle, and many customers may have even older boxes, NCTA said. “Older set-top boxes are frequently phased out via attrition, rather than actively replaced.”