How Will Wireless Service Providers Send Alerts?
Participating wireless service providers must be able to target alerts to individual counties, and ensure that alerts reach customers roaming outside a provider’s service area. Participating providers must also transmit alerts with a dedicated vibration cadence and audio attention signal to ensure the alerts reach wireless customers with hearing or vision disabilities. Emergency alerts will not interrupt calls in progress. While the FCC currently is requiring only text-based alerts with a maximum displayable message size of 90 characters, CMAS may include audio and video alerts in the future. Similarly, the FCC currently is requiring that alerts be provided only in English, but is assessing whether foreign language alerts can also be provided. For purposes of CMAS, emergency alerts will be classified in one of three categories: • Presidential Alerts – Alerts for all Americans related to national emergencies, such as terrorist attacks, that will preempt any other pending alerts; • Immin
