FCC Seeks Partners to Test Delivering Wireless Alerts During Outages

The Federal Communications Commission's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau seeks to partner with any entities that have a solution for delivering Wireless Emergency Alerts to mobile devices that are not connected to functioning cell towers. The Bureau asked interested parties to submit detailed information about their solution, including whether it would work with mobile devices currently in use by consumers, how to address any issues with delivering geographically targeted alerts, and how best testing should be conducted. The Bureau intends to partner with as many providers as practical to test solutions that seem technically feasible and capable of implementation without introducing significant costs or burdens to consumers, such as the need to buy new devices. The Bureau aims to begin testing in the second quarter of 2024.