Cellphones get emergency alerts

Consumers will get emergency alerts for hurricanes, tornadoes and other disasters on their cellphones as part of a new alert network to be announced May 10 by the Federal Communications Commission.

The Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN) will allow emergency officials to send geographically targeted text messages to cellphones in areas where danger threatens. "The traditional alerts on radio and TV are still important, and they will continue, but more and more, mobile devices are becoming essential. You have them with you," says FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. "In the event of a major disaster, government authorities can get lifesaving information to you quickly." Four cellular providers -- AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon -- have collaborated to voluntarily initiate the service prior to an April 2012 deadline for PLAN enaction throughout the nation. Officials hope to include the entire metropolitan area of the two cities. Some current cellphones, including some iPhones and some Android phones, already have the circuitry required to receive PLAN alerts. The iPhones that have the capacity to get alerts, says AT&T's Robert Quinn, will require software modifications. New AT&T phones due out in October will be PLAN-ready.