The FCC today issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that aims to improve the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system.
The Commission said the new rules are intended to promote the wider use and effectiveness of WEA as state and local authorities convey emergency information to their communities.
Among other measures the rules propose increasing the length of WEA messages from 90 to 360 characters and allowing alerts to contain embedded phone numbers and URLs.
CTIA’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Scott Bergmann lauded the success of the program, which was started in 2012, and wide adoption by carriers.
“Consistent with the wireless industry’s track record of improving the safety of subscribers, CTIA looks forward to working with the FCC and other stakeholders to make sure this voluntary system continues to benefit all Americans,” Bergmann said in a statement.
The NPRM would also require wireless providers to deliver the alerts to more granular geographic areas, and the FCC is hoping to make it easier for state and local authorities to test the WEA service.
“Taken together, these proposals are designed to ensure that WEA keeps pace with evolving technologies and empowers communities to initiate these lifesaving alerts,” the FCC said in a statement.
Filed Under: Industry regulations
