WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission has voted unanimously to adopt a proposal to amend the Audible Crawl Rule that would ensure that people who are blind or visually impaired continue to have access to the same critical details of an emergency as sighted viewers.

The agency made the move after repeated delays over an 11-year period in implementing the so-called Audible Crawl rule because the regulator and broadcasters had found no workable solution for implementing it.

The Commission’s Audible Crawl Rule requires the use of a secondary audio stream to convey televised emergency information aurally when such information is conveyed visually (e.g., in an on-screen text crawl or a small image, like a weather radar map), so that it is accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired.

The rule was adopted on April 8, 2013, with an original effective date of May 26, 2015, but has been waived and delayed “to the present day because a technical solution for automated descriptions of the information in such graphics does not exist,” the National Association of Broadcasters said in a Nov. 15, 2024, filing.

In early April, the Media Bureau issued a Memorandum and Order once again delaying the implementation of the so-called “Audible Crawl Rule” until 2027. That was the sixth time implementation of the rule has been delayed.

Currently, no technical solution exists for compliance with the audible crawl rule, as it relates to graphics such as a weather radar map.

This modified rule will stipulate that the rule is met if video programming providers or distributors provide textual crawls that convey emergency information duplicative of or equivalent to the visual, non-textual emergency information, as long as the text is conveyed aurally.

The April 30 Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will start a rulemaking proceeding to seek comment on amending the Audible Crawl Rule. Importantly, the proposed rule change would ensure that TV broadcasters continue to provide radar maps and other graphics conveying emergency information during non-newscast programming, while also preserving accessibility and consumer interests.

WASHINGTON—In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission, The Advanced Warning and Response Network Alliance has come out in favor of the FCC setting a firm date to end current ATSC broadcasts.

In its Jan. 20 filing, the group, which is made up of commercial and public broadcasters, national trade associations, and technology manufacturers backing the advanced alerting capabilities of ATSC 3.0, also backed some of the security features built into the ATSC 3.0 standard and highlighted improved emergency alerting capabilities of NextGen TV that broadcasters will be able to use to keep local communities safe.

“As the Commission has previously noted, Next Generation broadcasting will permit new ways for broadcasters to connect with and inform their audiences, including more targeted, specific, and helpful alerts and information that can be transmitted from TV stations to viewers within reach of broadcast signals,” the filing said, adding that “the AWARN Alliance emphasizes that the full capabilities of the standard are best implemented once the availability of ATSC 3.0 broadcast signals is ubiquitous across the country. This will allow broadcasters to enhance connections with the public safety community and deliver new alerting tools and capabilities that will save lives and property during emergencies.”

“The introduction and widespread adoption of voluntary Advanced Emergency Information that is possible with the ATSC 3.0 standard requires certainty from the FCC about the likely sunset of ATSC 1.0 signals, so that newsroom and production investments can be made to take advantage of the advanced features of the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard,” AWARN Alliance, executive director David H. Arland wrote in a letter to the FCC.

The filing did not advance a specific date for that sunset. The NAB has proposed that the signals be ended in larger markets in 2028 and the whole country by 2030.

The filing also defended some of the features of the 3.0 standard that are designed to protect content and broadcast signals from piracy.

“Content security has become a common requirement for high-value content, which also means that receiving devices must be fully security verified to tune to most broadcast ATSC 3.0 content today,” Arland wrote. “Without proper security credentials, a consumer cannot view ATSC 3.0 signals from broadcasters that have enabled content security. For more than 18,000,0000 potential viewers who have purchased a TV receiver equipped with NextGen TV electronics, this is not an issue, as the NextGen TV sets are security verified, enabling audiences to access all NextGen TV content, whether encrypted or not, without needing an internet connection or subscription. It is a seamless experience.”

In addition, Arland stressed that “Many of the set-top receivers are also security verified, also delivering seamless access to all content” and that only one product has “not yet resolved security issues, and those customers are able to tune to ATSC 1.0 broadcasts and related EAS messages from local stations.”

“The use of content security does not in any way impede the delivery of EAS messages or Advanced Emergency Information; emergency alerts and related public safety information are delivered as part of the ATSC 3.0 service and are available whenever the underlying channel is receivable,” Arland concluded. “Since the content security system is agnostic to the content being delivered, the Commission should expect that programming content that includes emergency messages would be transmitted in the same secure manner. Properly implemented, all content is equally secure and accessible.”

The filing also urged the FCC to establish policies so that “local viewers should not have their channel choices hijacked by MVPDs during emergencies, as has previously been the case with some cable operators. Rather, cable operators should let local broadcasters inform local audiences with appropriate EAS warnings and information, since local TV stations are typically staffed to provide more information than a pass-through multichannel provider.”

“Local stations are the best option for keeping local audiences informed during specific emergencies, including providing geolocation targeted information, maps, multilingual and sign language services, and other capabilities that are anticipated in the ATSC 3.0 standard,” the AWARN Alliance argued, adding that “news and weather departments at stations staffed with newsrooms will have these new tools available to keep their viewers informed, including those who are referred to local broadcast TV stations by WEA wireless telephone alerts. The Advanced Emergency Information capability of the ATSC 3.0 standard can also be utilized to supplement brief emergency alerts, including potentially the delivery of rich-media content such as maps, video clips, and other advisories…In summary, advanced emergency information and alerts enabled by ATSC 3.0 – and by FCC rules, requirements and policies that foster innovation – further enhance broadcasters’ capabilities to serve their communities.”

The full filing is available here.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Emergency communications solutions provider Digtal Alert Systems said it has promoted Adam Jones to senior account manager.

In his new role, Jones will be the primary contact for all of the company’s dealers and systems integrators and will manage several key customer accounts, DAS said. Formerly senior sales engineer, Jones will remain based in Daleville, Ind., and continue to report to Vice President of Business Development Bill Robertson.

“When an employee shows a desire for greater involvement, asks for more challenging assignments, and delivers consistently improving results, it’s to everyone’s benefit that this person is moved up the ranks,” Robertson said in a statement. “Adam has consistently grown his skills and knowledge regarding the product and customers during his tenure at Digital Alert Systems and has proven his capabilities in working with challenging assignments. His promotion reflects our commitment to recognizing and advancing talent from within.”

Jones joined the company in 2020 from global test and measurement systems provider Viavi Solutions, where he was Emergency Alert System product-line manager.

Since joining Digital Alert Systems, the company said, Jones has played pivotal roles in assessing customer and internal needs and in troubleshooting complex issues. His customer advocacy has influenced its software and firmware development road map, the company said, particularly through his work evaluating and advocating for nonfeature requests.

“I’m honored to take on this new role and continue growing with Digital Alert Systems,” Jones said. “Over the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with our customers and partners, and I’m excited to deepen those relationships while helping to drive even greater value for them. I’m grateful for the trust the company has placed in me and look forward to contributing to our continued success.”

For more on Digital Alert Systems, visit the company’s website.

WASHINGTON—As expected, the Federal Communications Commission has embarked on a major effort to reexamine the national alert and warning systems, including the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr announced in July plans for a fundamental reexamination of existing alerting systems and the agency voted to officially go forward with the idea during its August Open Meeting.

The FCC said the action will explore whether fundamental changes to these systems, which include EAS, which provides emergency alerts to the public via radio, television, satellite and cable systems, and WEA, which provides emergency alerts to supported mobile devices. could make them more effective, efficient, and better able to serve the public’s needs.

More specifically, the notice of proposed rulemaking will:

• Seek comment on the objectives for effective alert and warning systems.
• Explore which entities need to be able to send alerts to fully accomplish these objectives and how these needs should be addressed in the design of alerting systems.
• Consider the alert transmission capabilities that a national public alert and warning system must have to achieve its objectives, including the need for resilience, geographic targeting, and security.
• Ask whether EAS and WEA are meeting the needs and expectations of both the public and alerting authorities, and if not, whether redesign or targeted changes would allow EAS and WEA to fully reach their potential.
• Examine both the types of information and distribution methods needed to effectively convey information to the public through EAS and WEA.

Notably the proposed NPRM does not mention the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which the Trump administration is shutting down. In the past, the CPB has played a major role in channeling funding to public stations to implement and upgrade their alerting systems.

The proposed NPRM also makes no mention of ATSC 3.0 or the transition to NextGenTV/ATSC 3.0. Proponents of 3.0 broadcasts have repeatedly touted its capabilities for delivering much more robust and informative alerts.

In late July, TV Tech's Phil Kurz reported, “The Advanced Warning and Response Network (AWARN) Alliance made the rounds at the Federal Communications Commission last week to underscore the importance of removing the ATSC 1.0-3.0 simulcast requirement, establishing a date certain for the shutoff of legacy DTV and setting a date by which broadcasters must transmit 3.0 to facilitate a successful transition and support continued technological innovation in broadcasting.”

"AWARN Alliance executive director Dave Arland and Ed Czarnecki, AWARN steering committee member and vice president of government and international affairs at Digital Alert Systems, met July 25 with FCC Media Bureau and Public Safety Bureau staff, as well as legal and policy advisers to Commissioners Anna Gomez and Olivia Trusty, to discuss how realizing all of the benefits of advanced emergency warnings depends on shutting down ATSC 1.0 and fully transitioning to 3.0, along with other issues, according to notices of ex parte communication sent to the agency."

In a public statement on the NPRM, Carr said: “One of the points that I have emphasized with the FCC’s leadership team is that we should take a first principles approach to our jobs. Just because something has been done a certain way for a certain number of years, we should not hesitate to change things up—whether in big or small ways.

“That is certainly the approach we are taking with this item today,” he said “Two of our most vital communications tools to keep people safe in times of crisis are the nation’s alerting and warning systems: the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). I’ve seen these tools in action, and there is no doubt that they have had a tremendous impact on public safety and saving American lives. Since I’ve been at the Commission, we’ve made multiple changes to both programs. But the frameworks underlying EAS and WEA are 31 and 13 years old, respectively. That’s a long time by any measure, and a lifetime in the tech sector. Today, we are asking questions to assess whether EAS and WEA are delivering on their objectives, and if not, how they can be changed to make sure they are leveraging the latest technology to save lives.”

The full notice can be found here.

Emergency management officials in Florida are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to better protect residents from the threat of hurricanes and other natural disasters.

The new project involves technology from Futuri, a company familiar to radio broadcasters for its artficial intelligence-based services.

Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, the University of Florida and Futuri jointly announced the launch of what they called the first AI-driven emergency broadcast system to deliver disaster communications.

They say the Broadcast Emergency Alerts and Communications Operations Network, or BEACON, combines the benefits of AI with the resiliency of broadcast technology to allow emergency managers and first responders to communicate with communities.

Former FEMA administrator Craig Fugate endorsed the service and said this could be a model for a national system. Futuri, after testing its reliability in Florida markets this coming year, expects to offer the emergency system to other states.

Multilingual
The system automatically captures, prioritizes and translates public safety information from authorized sources, localizing the content based on geography and using AI to voice radio broadcast updates and advisories. It can also translate them into multiple languages (something the Federal Communications Commission has been eyeing for Emergency Alert System messaging).

“This critical information from state and local emergency managers is broadcast over traditional radio and TV airwaves and is also available via streaming and the free BEACON mobile app on iOS and Android. The system integrates directly into newsrooms and studios through a secure dashboard, allowing broadcasters across the state to access real-time content,” Futuri explained in its announcement. The tool includes radio and TV feeds that broadcast preparedness information even when there are no active disasters.

BEACON is set to roll out on 12 radio stations owned by the state university system of Florida. However, the system can be used by any commercial station in the state.

Daniel Anstandig, CEO and founder of Futuri, said work on the project began when state emergency management officials and the university identified a gap in the timely delivery of critical messaging. Futuri has a research and development partnership with the university’s College of Journalism and Communication, exploring new broadcast infrastructure technologies. (As we reported last year, the university was an early user of RadioGPT, the AI-based Futuri tool later renamed AudioAI.)

Angstandig noted that weather-based disasters are significant in Florida. “We set out to find ways to improve emergency communications infrastructure. Traditional emergency communication methods just often fail to reach enough people, especially during an evolving emergency. EAS has traditionally been an in-the-moment notification tool. BEACON was developed to provide communication before, during and after an emergency.”

Futuri is offering the online dashboard to every broadcaster in the state. The tool monitors activity from the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. “It’s a secure encrypted website that broadcasters can log into to follow exactly what is happening statewide, which then can be prioritized for a local area,” he said. Radio and TV stations in Florida that choose to use the dashboard will be able to access the content and play specific multilingual alerts as they see fit. Broadcasters will not incur a cost to use the system.

The Statewide EOC/Warning Point emergency operations center will use it to add content as they deem necessary, Anstandig said.

“BEACON then uses AI to prioritize messaging, who needs to receive it and in what language,” Anstandig said. “This all happens in real time through the portal. It gets information from the same system that drives content to EAS and WEA [Wireless Emergency Alerts], but it is not at all related to those systems.”

But BEACON is integrated with IPAWS, the Integrated Public Alerts and Warning System, so alerts in IPAWS messaging are captured in BEACON without a manual process, the developers said.

Feeds will be available for every major metropolitan area in the state via the mobile app. Florida residents were encouraged to download the app. Citizens in the Gainesville area can also tune in to a local HD4 signal there for live BEACON broadcasts.

Anstandig said several of the 12 university stations inquired about carrying the content feed 24/7 on their HD subchannels. Those channels potentially could carry disaster and emergency preparedness information during nonemergencies. “The U.F. team has routinely spoken with a number of station leaders who have an interest in bringing BEACON to their local market once WUFT-HD4 89.1 Gainesville-Ocala goes live on Dec. 18,” he told Radio World prior to the announcement.

“The big void in emergency information right now is during recovery efforts,” Anstandig continued.

“In our study of emergency communications across the U.S., our country does a good job of delivering short bursts of information just in time. That is what EAS and WEA do very well—a tornado warning, for instance. However, what’s missing is everything what happens before an event and the days after the crisis. That’s when information becomes very fragmented. BEACON can provide immediately actionable information to help survivors find help.”

Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Division of Emergency Management, told Radio World the system was tested this year during Hurricanes Helene and Milton with some 4,000 tests.

He said BEACON ensures a unified, consistent message across platforms, thanks to the automatic capturing, prioritizing and translating of authorized public safety information.

“We can now push these emergency messages out to specific areas in English, Creole or Spanish. And not just those languages. I am from Jacksonville originally, where we have large Lithuanian and Yugoslavian communities, and if we [wanted to] use those languages we could, using University of North Florida radio,” he said.

The announcement was endorsed by Craig Fugate, a former Federal Emergency Management Administration administrator and executive director of FDEM. He was quoted by the organizations saying that a nationwide implementation would offer “an unprecedented opportunity to transform emergency messaging, with a unified platform for authorities to disseminate critical alerts and instructions in real time.”

This article initially appeared on TV Tech sister brand Radio World.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—NextGen TV technologies once again demonstrated the usefulness of their advanced datacasting capabilities during the 2023 Marine Corps Marathon, where a partnership of Washington, D.C., federal and regional agencies and broadcasting organizations used NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) broadcasts to help monitor large crowds.

The effort involved NextGen TV broadcasts and infrastructure from Howard University’s public television station WHUT and Sinclair Broadcast Group station WIAV as well as the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, the U. S. Park Police, and Arlington, Va. 

Working together, they were able to use NextGen TV datacasting capabilities to monitor the 26.2-mile course and protect the 30,000 runners and thousands of spectators from traffic mishaps and other public safety threats.

More specifically, the NextGen TV broadcasts allowed the agencies, covering multiple government jurisdictions, to seamlessly coordinate their protective services across a wide geographic area through encrypted video streams broadcast using the television stations infrastructure and transmitted to agency personnel through the IncidentOne datacasting system developed and deployed by the SpectraRep technology firm.

Content uniquely broadcast via data transmission capabilities embedded in the NextGen Broadcast standard is secure and cannot be viewed on traditional TV sets, those involved in the effort said. 

Data is encrypted and requires a receiver and special software to decrypt and view. Broadcasting’s one-to-many communications architecture makes it possible to send huge streams of datacast information quickly to an unlimited number of law enforcement officers and first responders without risk of the congestion and system failure often associated with cellular networks during emergencies.

That meant that NextGen datacasting could be used to add an overlay network for sharing onsite camera feeds from Arlington County and the National Mall with all involved agencies that would not otherwise have access to those cameras.

The event used two TV stations and transmitters to allow for optimized reception at geographically distant receiver sites and to provide additional overall data capacity.

“America’s Public Television Stations are committed to using our communications infrastructure to support public safety and first responders through datacasting,” said APTS president and CEO Patrick Butler. “The 2023 Marine Corps Marathon test shows that public television’s datacasting enables the sharing of critical information with first responders on the ground quickly and efficiently, saving time and saving lives. This event is another important step forward in public television’s work to protect communities and keep Americans safe.”

Sean Plater, general manager of WHUT, added that “WHUT is committed to serving the Washington, D.C. metropolitan community not only with high quality educational and informational television programming, but also with public safety, alert and warning, and other critical public mission services.”

“Our work to advance public safety information sharing during the Marine Corps Marathon represents another way public television serves their local communities,” said SpectraRep president Mark O’Brien. “Dartacasing was both a resilient backup communications path and served as the primary source for interagency video sharing. The addition of ATSC 3 this year also highlighted the benefits of this new capability, and broadcast television’s value beyond what you see on your TV set.”

Jerald Fritz, executive vice president for strategic affairs for ONE Media Technologies, the NextGen deployment subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, added, “The NextGen Broadcast standard is a tremendous advancement for the industry and the public, especially for advanced emergency information. Simply put, broadcasters around the country can provide this advanced technology to help save lives. That is the highest form of meeting our public interest responsibilities.”

NextGen TV broadcasts were also used for a successful trial of emergency communications datacasting during the 2022 Marine Marathon. 

WASHINGTON—The Advanced Warning and Response Network (AWARN) has announced that more than 60 local TV broadcasters and emergency managers from the Gulf Coast region are due to gather this week to lay the groundwork for the voluntary use of NextGen TV Advanced Emergency Information (AEI) and cement their historic working relationship.

The AWARN New Orleans Roundtable, Nov. 2-3 at public broadcaster WYES’ studio (916 Navarre Ave., New Orleans, La. 70124), will examine how many aspects of the new digital broadcast standard can best serve the public in an emergency.

AWARN is co-hosting the event with the station as well as the Louisiana Broadcasters Association, the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters and the Alabama Broadcasters Association. 

“The AWARN Roundtables are a forum for broadcasters and local alert originators to network and explore ways to work together to deliver geo-targeted, rich media emergency information. Although NextGen TV will be highlighted, the real focus is building relationships,” said AWARN Executive Director John Lawson. 

The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), the Louisiana Broadcasters Association, LG Electronics/Zenith R&D Lab, One Media 3.0, a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, The Weather Company, An IBM Business and WYES are sponsoring the event.

“In addition to our venue host WYES, CEOs of the state broadcaster associations and state and local emergency managers have been terrific partners. And we’re happy that So Vang, vice president of emerging technology at ONE Media 3.0, is coming down to personally brief the group on the breakthrough ATSC 3.0 Advanced Emergency Information app that his team at Sinclair has developed. This will be an eye-opening event,” said Lawson.

Future AWARN Roundtables will be held in Washington, D.C., Dec. 7-8; Raleigh, N.C., Jan. 24-25; and New York City in 2023. The New York City date currently is undetermined. 

Roundtable registration is available online.

Nearly a year after a false missile alert was issued across Hawaii, legislators have taken another step toward addressing the issue of erroneous emergency alerts.

On Dec. 17, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement (READI) Act. The legislation will explore new ways of alerting the public through online video and audio streaming services, will track and study false alerts when they occur, will alter the way states plan for emergency alerts, and will help ensure more people receive relevant emergency alerts on mobile phones, televisions and radios.

The legislation will also give the federal government the primary responsibility of alerting the public of a missile threat. The bill was introduced by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), John Thune (R-S.D.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

In short, the READI Act is designed to:

• Ensure more people receive emergency alerts by eliminating the option to opt out of receiving certain federal alerts, including missile alerts, on mobile phones;
• Require active alerts issued by the president or FEMA to be repeated. Currently, alerts on TV or radio may only be played once;
• Explore updating the system to offer emergency alerts over the internet, including to audio and video online streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify;
• Encourage state emergency communications committees to periodically review and update their state emergency alert system plans, which are often out of date;
• Compel the Federal Emergency Management Agency to create best practices for state, tribal, and local governments to use for issuing alerts, avoiding false alerts, and retracting false alerts if they occur, as well as for alert origination training and plans for officials to contact each other and federal officials during emergencies; and
• Establish a reporting system for false alerts so the FCC can track when they occur and examine their causes.

“When a missile alert went out across Hawaii in January, some people never got the message on their phones, while others missed it on their TVs and radios,” said Sen. Schatz, who serves on the Senate Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet Subcommittee.

“Even though it was a false alarm, the missile alert highlighted real ways we can improve the way people receive emergency alerts. [This] bill fixes some of these issues and will help make sure that in an emergency, the public gets the right information they need as quickly as possible,” Schatz said

The National Association of Broadcasters supports the passage of the act, saying the legislation would help improve the timeliness, accuracy and availability of emergency alerts when disaster strikes.

“Local radio and TV broadcasters play a vital role as ‘first informers’ in keeping communities safe, and we understand the importance of relevant and up-to-date information when lives are at risk,” said NAB Executive Vice President of Communications Dennis Wharton.

The bill now moves on to the House of Representatives for consideration. 

WASHINGTON—The former head of Federal Emergency Management Agency says the recent false missile warning incident in Hawaii provides an opportunity for local and federal government agencies to review their emergency alerting systems and also said that the event illustrated the important role television and radio broadcasters play during emergencies. 

In a column on Morning Consult, Craig Fugate, who was FEMA administrator during the Obama administration, said the incident raised important questions about the nation’s emergency alerting system, but added that “this incident also offers an opportunity for everyone to review their own emergency preparedness plans.”

He also pointed out the importance of having “trustworthy sources of information,” during such emergencies. “During times of crisis, the public’s best source for information is a communications network that has kept people safe for decades—their local broadcaster,” he wrote. 

He added that broadcasters were among the first to alert the public that the missile warning was a mistake. “Many stations were able to confirm on air that it was a false alarm just minutes after the initial alert, well before public safety officials passed that news to the public,” he wrote. 

Acknowledging the reality that more and more citizens get their news and information from wireless devices now, Fugate noted the importance of smartphone apps like NextRadio that allow listeners to listen to live local radio stations over cellular. He singled out Apple for remaining a holdout in the effort to activate radio enabled chipsets in its iPhones. “At a time when the public needs access to more information—not less—Apple should to the right thing and voluntarily unlock radio chips in iPhones,” he wrote.

He also noted the significance of the Next Gen TV standard (aka “ATSC 3.0). “With the new standard, broadcasters could deliver multimedia content such as interactive evacuation maps, videos and pictures during emergencies to help the public avoid dangerous situation,” he wrote.

WASHINGTON--The heavy hitters of the wireless industry are pressing the Federal Communications Commission to consider that it will take time — up to three years — to ensure any proposed geotargeting changes can be successfully implemented to the Wireless Emergency Alert system.

Staff from the wireless organization CTIA (along with member companies AT&T, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile, Qualcomm and Verizon) met with staff from the chairman and commissioners’ offices in early January to offer a framework for moving ahead to improve the geotargeting capabilities of emergency alerts within WEA.

The group explained that there’s a key difference between device-based and network-based solutions: Device-based WEA geotargeting will require fundamental changes to the existing WEA system because a mobile device must process the geotargeting WEA information — as compared to a networked-based solution, in which a mobile phone can simply present a cell-broadcast WEA message as-is. In the latter case, the CTIA said, there’s no need to process or analyze the alert content in any way.

Thus, CTIA said, wireless companies must create new device standards, solutions and best-practice scenarios within devices to handle device-based WEA geotargeting. “Such a fundamental shift in WEA capabilities will require new mobile wireless network and device standards and solutions, as well as new or modified technologies and practices for FEMA’s IPAWS and alert originators,” the group said in its filing with the FCC.

As a result, the group said, it will take the industry at least 36 months to move forward, “given the significant efforts that will be necessary to support this new capability,” CTIA said.

The CTIA said it might be possible to begin testing new WEA enhancements with a prototype device using device-based geotargeting methods by Dec. 31, 2019. More testing needs to be done to determine if existing devices can be modified to support WEA geotargeting capabilities, the CTIA said. The FCC has proposed for geotargeting to go into effect Nov. 30, 2019.

The CTIA filing is one of many comments within the commission’s ECFS database on improving WEA and EAS. Filers can search for filings and submit their own using Docket 15-91.

This article originally appeared on Radio World.