Amy Bender, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for the Communications & Information Technology Association (CTIA), has commended the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for its efforts to enhance the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system. Bender expressed her support for the FCC's focus on providing actionable information to consumers and strengthening the life-saving system.
In a statement, Bender said, "The wireless industry commends the FCC for its ongoing efforts to enhance and support the Wireless Emergency Alert system and its focus on providing actionable information to consumers." She further added, "We are proud of the work we've accomplished so far with the Commission, FEMA, and alert originators that has made WEAs one of the most effective, efficient, and reliable public safety tools, and we look forward to our continued partnership to strengthen this life-saving system."
The FCC has implemented measures to improve the effectiveness and practicality of the WEA system. Chairman of the FCC, Tom Wheeler, explained that the new Wireless Emergency Alerts will carry more information and will be better targeted geographically. This means that emergency managers will be able to send more informative messages, as the maximum alert length has been expanded from 90 characters to 360.
FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn also highlighted the enhancements made to the WEA system. The changes aim to improve message quality, delivery, and testing. One significant change includes expanding the maximum alert message length from 90 to 360 characters for 4G-LTE and future networks. This allows alert originators to communicate more clearly with their communities. Mobile providers are now also mandated to support embedded references in all alerts, aligning with the goals set in the initial Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM).
The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society reported that the FCC has enacted rules to further enhance the WEA system. These enhancements include expanding the availability of WEA messages to encompass over a dozen additional languages, including American Sign Language. Previously, WEA messages were only accessible in English or Spanish, but the new rules mandate wireless providers participating in WEA to support messages in the 13 most commonly spoken languages in the U.S., along with English and American Sign Language. Additionally, participating wireless providers are required to enable mobile devices to display preinstalled message templates to facilitate multilingual alerting.
To enhance the personalization of emergency alerts, the FCC's rules also require participating wireless providers to support the inclusion of maps in WEA messages, illustrating the recipient's location in relation to the emergency area. Furthermore, the FCC has established a Commission-hosted database for easy access to information on WEA availability.
Overall, CTIA and the wireless industry are supportive of the FCC's ongoing efforts to enhance and support the Wireless Emergency Alert system. The collaboration between the FCC, FEMA, and alert originators has resulted in WEAs becoming one of the most effective and reliable public safety tools. The continuous partnership between the industry and the FCC aims to strengthen the life-saving system and ensure that consumers receive actionable information during critical situations.