FCC greenlights text message emergency alert system

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a plan on Thursday to team up with wireless carriers for emergency text message alerts.

Cellular service providers can opt into the new system, called the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS); then, their customers will receive three varieties of text message from a not-yet-specified government agency.

There will be "presidential alerts" for major national emergencies like terrorist attacks, "imminent threat alerts" for localized emergencies like hurricanes and tornadoes, and Amber Alerts for missing children--which have been broadcast to cell phones since 2005.

A release from the agency hinted that as mobile technology evolves, audio and video alerts may be implemented as well.

"No one questions the value that an effective Commercial Mobile Alert System will have on the safety and welfare of the American public," FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said in a statement issued Thursday, admitting that there is not yet a federal agency in place to handle the messages (PDF).

When there is, carriers that choose to participate will have 10 months to comply with the FCC's rules. "We are hopeful that we have initiated the dialogue that will allow an appropriate federal entity to assume that central role in an expeditious manner."

CNN reported that T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, and AT&T indicated that they would be likely to sign up for the FCC's system.

Meanwhile, nongovernment groups like Google.org have also embarked upon projects to use text messaging, as well as services like Twitter, for both disaster awareness and rescue.

[imacpwr]

How long before that gets hacked..!

People are going to running around in panic once someone figures out how to hack that system. How long will it be before I can say.. "I told you so..!"

[Manhattan2]

At the Manhattan 2 Project we call these GPS alerts and Satellite alerts

We have been working on these types of applications for years. How to capture and then distribute the alerts is what we have explored.

We call it GPSalerts and Satellite alerts. Sensible Engineering!

[Mel in Hi]

Cellular networks will LOVE this

I can certainly see why the cellular carriers would sign onto this. Every time an Amber alert goes out, kaching $.05 times the number of customers goes into their bank.

The ONLY way I would support this is to REQUIRE the carriers to NOT charge the customers for these incoming text messages. Otherwise, I DO NOT WANT TO KNOW, thank you very much. Where's my chance to OPT OUT of this anyways?

[aileen72]

FCC National Alert System

I called verizon & told them I wanted to Opt-Out. They put me on their no solicitation list and said I would not receive any of the notifications from the FCC once it goes into affect. Verizon told me the FCC will send the notifications to them and they will forward them to their customers. I told them I use my cell as my alarm clock and I don?t want it going off at all hours of the night for weather alerts & amber alerts. Thats what the internet, radio & TV is for. And if we?re begin nuked, I?m dead anyway. I guess its to give me time to get dressed for it