Policy Council: Can you give me an example of how this might work?
Mr. Guttman-McCabe: Well, I can actually say that I know it will work, because we have such a system operating today. We can look to the success of the Wireless AMBER Alert program for a template of how the short-term SMS solution works. The wireless industry joined with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the U.S. Department of Justice, to launch the Wireless AMBER Alert initiative last year. It assists the law enforcement community in the search for and the return of missing and abducted children via the use of wireless text message alerts. Subscribers capable of receiving text messages, and whose wireless carrier participates in the Wireless AMBER Alerts Initiative, may opt in to receive alerts by registering at www.wirelessamberalerts.org or their wireless carrier's website. Using zip codes, users can designate the specific area for which they'd like to be alerted in case of an AMBER Alert activation. Similarly, with the short-term Emergency Alert solution, subscribers with SMS capability on their handset would be able to opt-in to receive Presidential alerts via text messaging for prescribed zip codes, such as where they live or work.
Policy Council: Earlier you mentioned the industry has initiated a two-part approach toward the development of EAS. We’ve discussed the short-term solution, so what do we have to look forward to in the long-run?
Mr. Guttman-McCabe: That’s a great question. In addition to our short-term approach utilizing SMS, CTIA and the wireless industry, in concert with government and other stakeholders, are working on a long-term solution that would be able to target geographic areas.
As I mentioned before, a sensible emergency alerting policy must take into account both the massive investment in place today and the technological developments that propel the industry in the long run. We believe legislation such as the Warning, Alert, and Response Network (WARN) Act, currently being considered in Congress, will do just that. Developing a national emergency alerting policy should not be a one-time event. Going forward, there should be a continuing process for identifying the emergency alert environment and merging it with industry capabilities. The WARN Act provides a sensible framework and process that will help facilitate the transition from the short-term SMS solution to long-term geographic-based service. Additionally, it will establish an expert working group of government officials and industry experts that will logically take into consideration industry capabilities and evolution—ultimately leading to a more robust service.
