Wireless Emergency Alerts: An Update

In January, the state of Hawaii mistakenly warned the public of an imminent missile attack by issuing a false alert to televisions, radios, and wireless phones. My team recently completed an investigation into the incident—an alerting drill gone awry—and we’ll be partnering with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on additional outreach to help stakeholders better understand the capabilities of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. We will also host a stakeholder workshop to discuss lessons learned from this experience. The FCC is now strengthening Wireless Emergency Alerts, building on stakeholder experience and technological advancements since the service began.