WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission has announced that it will vote on a proposed Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that takes steps to improve the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) by requiring targeted cybersecurity improvements to protect the system from cybercriminals and our nation’s adversaries.

The Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which has not been adopted or implemented by the agency, also proposes additional ways to improve EAS and WEA to make them more helpful to alerting authorities, less burdensome for participating communications providers, and better able to save lives.

As part of those improvements, the FCC said it will consider whether it should eliminate what the agency calls “outdated and unnecessary alerting requirements by proposing to allow the implementation of EAS capabilities via software instead of hardware and retire the 90-character-maximum versions of WEA messages.”

In the past, the NAB has pressed the FCC to allow software implementations.

Last year, the NAB is requested the Federal Communications Commission make changes to Emergency Alert System (EAS) rules that would allow but not require EAS participants to use software-based EAS encoder/decoder technology instead of a legacy physical hardware device to process EAS messages.

In that April 2025 filing, the NAB urged the FCC fast-track the request because hardware supplier Sage Alerting Systems, one of two hardware suppliers, has recently stopped production of devices and because the “the current legacy ecosystem is not sustainable.”

In 2025, the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that launched a reexamination of the nation’s alerting systems to explore ways to make them more effective, efficient, and better able to serve the public’s needs.

The proposed Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) is the result of that inquiry. It aims to preserve the public’s trust in EAS by requiring targeted cybersecurity improvements that will help protect against hijacking by cybercriminals and foreign governments.

More specifically, the FCC described the changes as follows:

• Improve EAS’s integrity by proposing to require the authentication of all alerts before they are transmitted.
• Bolster the reliability of emergency alerts by proposing to establish a universal alert identification number to improve the detection and blocking of duplicate alerts and ensure that WEAs are consistently sent to members of the public who newly enter an alert’s delivery area until the emergency ends.
• Improve geographic accuracy by proposing to eliminate outdated WEA geotargeting exceptions that often cause alerts to be received in the wrong locations and expand geotargeting options for EAS.
• Make alerts more effective by seeking comment on requiring EAS and WEA to display symbols that match the type of emergency and improving the ability of earthquake alerts to grab the public’s attention.
• Remove outdated and unnecessary alerting requirements by proposing to allow the implementation of EAS capabilities via software instead of hardware and retire the 90-character-maximum versions of WEA messages.

The proposed Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking released on June 4 2026 is not a final, adopted action. It has been circulated for tentative consideration by the Commission at its Open Meeting on June 25. The issues referenced and the Commission's ultimate resolution of those issues are subject to change, the agency stressed.

The full document is available here.

WASHINGTON—In response to an effort by the Federal Communications Commission to “modernize” existing systems for alerting people during emergencies, the NAB has laid out a number of proposals for improving the systems while preserving the important role that radio and TV broadcasters play in the current system.

“NAB supports the FCC’s further consideration of ways to enhance EAS, while preserving and promoting the legacy EAS system as a critically important redundant failsafe backup,” the filing said. “Broadcasters take pride in their unique role in EAS, and look forward to partnering with the FCC, FEMA, and other stakeholders on future enhancements that would increase public safety."

As part of its proposals for improving the system the NAB’s filing proposed the following measures and laid out its position on these issues:

• The FCC should consider ways to enhance the effectiveness of alert originators. As part of that the NAB said it supports more AO funding, training, and collaboration.
• Government agencies should maintain exclusive authority to issue eas alerts.
• The FCC should preserve the existing presentation of EAS alerts while considering voluntary options for enhanced video-rich alerts.
• EAS participation should remain mandatory only for presidential alerts.
• Redundancy is the most effective way to ensure resilience.
• In addition, the NAB said it supports improving the geotargeting of EAS alerts and would support efforts to enhance the security of EAS.
• The NAB also supports consideration of approaches to expanding EAS to additional media platforms.

The NAB's defense of the role played by broadcasters is important because the FCC’s original Notice of Proposed for updating alerting systems said that the agency would examine a wide variety of issues and attempt to completely reexamine existing approaches.

Those issues included, the FCC said in the NPR, an examination of whether broadcasting should continue to play a central role in any new system given the ongoing shift from traditional radio and TV to streaming and mobile devices.

“EAS, for instance, was originally designed to continue operating when traditional communication methods are not functioning and alerts can only be delivered via independently powered broadcast facilities,” the NPR noted. “Does this approach to EAS resiliency remain necessary today? Are there other alternative communications pathways that EAS and WEA can leverage to ensure redundancy? Should EAS and WEA both be independently resilient (i.e., having multiple redundant pathways within EAS, as well as within WEA) or is it sufficient for EAS to provide a redundant source of alerts to WEA and vice versa? Could existing public alert and warning infrastructure be made more resilient by increasing the interoperability of EAS and WEA (e.g., by enabling mobile devices capable of receiving a WEA to receive EAS alerts when cellular infrastructure is damaged)?”

A separate filing by the Consumer Electronics Association more directly raised the issue of the importance of broadcasters in alerting systems.

It noted that “the nation’s alerting system is successfully and reliably reaching Americans as they incorporate more and more wireless devices into their everyday lives. The integration of wireless phones into consumers’ lives means that the shift in behavior from traditional television and radio to online media and connected devices does not frustrate the alerting “systems’ objectives of widespread public notification about emergencies.”

“CTA’s data demonstrates that most Americans receive emergency and public safety information through WEA to mobile devices, not terrestrial radio or broadcast television,” the CTA also noted. “In 2023, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and FCC conducted a nationwide EAS and WEA test with the goal of ensuring that the system continues to be a successful means of communicating emergency information to the public…In the days immediately following this test, CTA Market Research conducted a survey to understand the method for how U.S. adults received/heard the emergency alert on October 4, 2023. The survey indicates that approximately 245 million U.S. adults (95%) received/heard the October 4 emergency alert via their phone. Specifically, 92% of U.S. adults (approximately 237 million) indicated they received the alert through their smartphone. The results of this survey illustrate the ubiquity of cellphones and smartphones and the effectiveness of the WEA system in reaching device users.”

The original NPR also makes no mention of public media, which has traditionally played an important role in alerting or ATSC 3.0, which has a number of features for advance alerts. In a separate filing ATSC laid out its position on how NextGen TV could help in the design of a new system.

In its filing, the NAB said “Broadcasters applauded the FCC for launching this proceeding. Of the many ways that television and radio broadcasters serve the public interest, none is more important than the critical role we play in protecting the safety of our viewers and listeners. The architecture of the broadcasting system is particularly resilient and enables local stations to reliably distribute emergency warnings and information to virtually all Americans. Recent events such as Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the Texas Hill Country floods, and the Los Angeles wildfires all underscore the importance of broadcasters during a disaster, as well as Congress’s decision to formally designate broadcasters as `first informers’ in 2018. Broadcasters lead the way in ensuring the integrity of EAS through routine testing and investing in new and upgraded EAS equipment, including updates mandated by regulation. And while broadcasters are proud to champion EAS, NAB respectfully reminds the Commission as it considers the ideas raised in the Notice that participation in EAS is essentially an unfunded government mandate.”

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission has updated its rules to provide alert originators with the flexibility to send silent Wireless Emergency Alerts, which the agency said would better protect the public in some situations and reduce “alert fatigue.”

The Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 25-14) was adopted by a unanimous vote by the FCC chair and commissioners at the agency’s Feb. open meeting on Feb. 27.

The vote ensures “that alert originators have more choices when they decide to send out alerts,” FCC chair Brendan Carr said. “Specifically, today’s decision lets alert originators and emergency managers on the ground decide whether to send an alert with or without a loud signal, depending on their judgment and expertise. In addition, today’s item gives consumers more choice and flexibility over the way they receive the alerts, which will reduce consumer opt-out and increase public safety by ensuring that consumers continue to receive them.

Wireless Emergency Alerts are used to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations through alerts on compatible cell phones and other mobile devices, the FCC said.

The FCC noted that to grab consumers’ attention, these alerts are accompanied by a distinctive sound and vibration. The notifications may be unexpected and jarring at times, causing some consumers to opt out from receiving future alerts. In addition, in some situations, such as during an active shooting, the loud “attention signal” may put a consumer in greater danger.

The FCC said that to address these issues, the FCC will require wireless providers that participate in Wireless Emergency Alerts to enable alert originators to send alerts that do not trigger the audio attention signal, vibration cadence, or both. At the same time, to ensure accessibility, consumers will have the option to override suppression of the vibration cadence so that they can continue to be notified of alerts this way.

The FCC also reported that the action promotes informed consumer choice by requiring devices marketed as “WEA-capable” to support all the required Wireless Emergency Alerts capabilities, including device-based geotargeting, 360-character alerts, embedded references, and silent alerts—not just a subset of these capabilities that varies by device or provider.

In addition, in an accompanying Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the Commission will seek comment on additional ways to reduce the number of consumers opting out of Wireless Emergency Alerts, including by providing the public with greater flexibility in how the alerts are presented on their phones.

WASHINGTON--For the first time, the FCC and Federal Emergency Management Agency will conduct a national Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) test, Oct. 3 the agencies said last Friday. The test will run simultaneously with a national EAS test, which is the fourth such test since they started in 2011.

Both tests are part of the International Public Alert System (IPAWS) National Test. The WEA, known as the “Presidential Alert,” portion is scheduled to begin at 2:18 p.m. EDT, followed by EAS portion at 2:20 p.m. EDT.

For the “Presidential Alert,” cell towers will send the test for about 30 minutes, starting at 2:18 p.m. EDT, and Only cell phones within range of cell towers whose wireless provider participates in the WEA program will be able to receive the test message. More than 100 providers currently participate in the WEA program. FEMA officials expect “75 percent of the phones to receive the message.”

FEMA originally scheduled the IPAWS alert for Sept. 20 but cancelled it due to ongoing response efforts to Hurricane Florence. The IPAWS test is required every three years.

During the alert FEMA will access the system’s “operational readiness” and monitor for any abnormalities. Only a presidential “designee” can conduct a test.

The “Presidential Alerts” are one of three that go out over the WEA system. The other two are for dangerous weather events and AMBER Alerts. Presidential Alerts are only used in cases of “public peril” or “imminent attacks,” such as multiple terrorist attacks.

In January, cell phones in Hawaii received a false alarm text message on the WEA system alerting residents of a ballistic missile attack. FEMA and FCC officials said the WEA system test scheduled for Oct. 3 is unrelated to that false alarm.

The message for the WEA portion will read: "Presidential Alert: This is a test of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed."

The EAS test message will read as follows:

“THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. This system was developed by broadcast and cable operators in voluntary cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission, and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency an official message would have followed the tone alert you heard at the start of this message. A similar wireless emergency alert test message has been sent to all cell phones nationwide. Some cell phones will receive the message; others will not. No action is required.”

Another joint WEA and EAS test is set to take place, this time in the Show-Me State.

In May a request was submitted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol to the Federal Communications Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau asking for a waiver to conduct a live EAS and WEA test on July 17. The commission approved that wavier. The test is now set to occur sometime between 10 –10:30 a.m. on July 17.

The bureau has agreed to other emergency test waivers of late, including one in Colorado and one in Minnesota. According to the bureau, conducting EAS tests at the state and local level increases the proficiency of local emergency personnel, provides insight into the system’s functionality and effectiveness at the federal level, and enhances the public’s ability to respond to EAS alerts when they occur.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol told the commission that the purpose of this test is to ensure that the public can have confidence in the state's ability to send emergency notifications to cellular phones and local broadcasters. The test is not intended to replace other scheduled EAS or WEA tests.

[Read: C Band, 5G, EAS False Alarms On FCC's July Docket]

For this EAS test, the highway patrol proposes to send out a live Civil Emergency Message code to seven different counties. The test will be sent by the MSHP Troop F dispatch center in Jefferson City using a locally developed system for accessing IPAWS. The proposed EAS test message will read, “This is a test of the Missouri State Highway Patrol Alert System. If there had been an actual emergency further instruction would have followed. This is only a test. No action is required.”

For the WEA test, the Missouri State Highway Patrol plans to send the WEA test message just to cell phones in Cole County. Given the recent false alerts that have happened across the country, the highway patrol said it is “imperative the MSHP test its ability to send WEA alerts to IPAWS and expose the public to the type of messages they may receive during times of crisis.”

The commission agreed. “We agree with MSHP that a coordinated and combined test of the two systems is a likely reflection of what would occur in an actual emergency; that is, both WEA and the EAS would be used,” the commission said, adding that such a proposed test for WEA has value now because it would help ensure that WEA and the EAS can be effectively deployed in a coordinated manner during an emergency.

At its Open Meeting in January 2018, the FCC set a deadline of May 1, 2019, for wireless providers to support Spanish-language messages in WEA and extend the length of alert messages from 90 to 360 characters. A second deadline, for establishing an enhanced geotargeting and keeping messages available on mobile devices for 24 hours, is set for November 2019. Both were made in an effort to promote the wider use and effectiveness of WEA, particularly for state and local authorities to convey critical messages to their communities.

Members of the public who wish to report their results of the test in Missouri are encouraged to file them with the FCC’s Public Safety Support Center.