The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a major initiative on July 17th to thoroughly reassess the nation's emergency alerting infrastructure. The FCC questions whether current systems, many decades old, are adequately equipped to handle modern communication demands.
This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, slated for discussion at the FCC's August meeting, signifies a complete overhaul of both the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), as described by commissioners. The review aims to determine if these systems require a redesign to fully utilize current technology while maintaining public safety goals. “Both systems were first introduced many years ago to address specific public needs using the technology that was available at the time,” the FCC noted.
The review goes beyond minor updates, delving into fundamental questions regarding alerting objectives, authorized senders, transmission capabilities, and public reception methods. Officials hint that this could dramatically change how emergency information reaches the public during crises.
The proposed rulemaking explores whether alerting systems should guarantee message delivery or rely on a “best effort” approach across various platforms. The commission also seeks input on cybersecurity measures to counter cyberattacks that could create false alerts or prevent legitimate warnings from reaching the public.
The FCC is also looking into expanding authorized alert originators beyond government entities to include utility companies, allowing for immediate hazard notifications about outages or leaks. The potential for machine-to-machine alerting, automatically triggering safety measures, is also under consideration. Video messaging is another key area of focus, with the FCC requesting cost estimates for nationwide implementation.
Concerns are raised about traditional alerting platforms’ effectiveness in reaching audiences as media consumption shifts towards streaming, social media, and connected devices. “This shift in consumer behavior indicates that fewer people may be using the platforms through which emergency messages have been traditionally issued,” the notice stated. The FCC explores focusing on end-user device capabilities, potentially enabling smart devices to receive alerts directly.
The review occurs amidst significant supply chain challenges in the emergency alerting industry. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has requested the FCC to approve software-based solutions following Sage Alerting Systems’ announcement to halt hardware production. Sage supplies approximately 90% of radio stations with emergency alert hardware.
The FCC's notice notably omits the transition to ATSC 3.0 or NextGen TV, despite its enhanced alerting capabilities. This suggests that the commission might address next-generation broadcasting separately.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) data shows that alerting authorities have used the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) 4.86 million times since 2012. The National Weather Service accounts for approximately 90% of EAS activations. However, research suggests that many WEA messages lack crucial information.
The FCC's inquiry focuses on a systematic evaluation of whether current systems effectively meet public safety objectives in light of technological and behavioral shifts. “As part of this examination, we seek comment on how EAS and WEA are working in practice for the public safety authorities who send alerts every day and the public that receives these alerts,” the commission stated.
The FCC will accept public comments for 30 days, followed by a 45-day reply comment period. The commission hasn't set a timeline for completing the review or implementing changes.