Chairman Pai Proposes Improvements To Wireless Emergency Alerts

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai issued the following statement on the proposal he circulated to improve Wireless Emergency Alerts:  

"Recently, the FCC has been looking at ways to make Wireless Emergency Alerts more effective and keep the American people safer. To that end, I shared with my colleagues proposed new rules to do just that. The most important feature of this proposal is the requirement that wireless carriers participating in the Wireless Emergency Alert program deliver alerts in a more geographically targeted manner. Emergency officials across America have told the FCC how important it is to better pinpoint these alerts to impacted communities. This would encourage more local officials to use these alerts during emergencies as well as lead Americans to take more seriously the alerts they receive on their mobile devices. More precise geographic targeting should also lead to fewer people opting out of receiving WEA messages.”

Full details of the Chairman’s proposed changes to FCC rules concerning Wireless Emergency Alerts will be released on Jan 9, three weeks prior to the Commission’s January 30 Open Meeting at which the proposal is expected to be considered by the Commissioners.