NAB, NCTA Seek More Time for CAP Readiness
Broadcast and cable groups were among those seeking more time to get ready for a new technology that can geographically target emergency alerts across broadcasters, subscription-video providers and wireless services. Comments to the FCC from the NAB, the NCTA and Monroe Electronics, a maker of emergency alert system (EAS) gear, seek longer than the maximum of 180 days that the commission gives EAS participants to configure their networks to accept alerts based the Common Alerting Protocol after the technical standards are published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA has said the alerts may be adopted by the third quarter, the NCTA noted. FEMA has lagged in coming up with the standards. It had hoped to come up with guidelines for them in 2008 (CD May 30/07 p2).
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Six months may not be long enough for EAS participants and equipment makers to “design, test, build, distribute and install new CAP-compliant equipment,” the NAB said. “For broadcasters to purchase, install and test this new EAS equipment within 180 days after FEMA’s announcement, the products would need to have completed the Commission’s Equipment Certification process, at a minimum. It is unclear how the Commission would be able to establish test criteria, and then evaluate and certify every manufacturer’s EAS equipment, prior to FEMA’s adoption of a technical standard.” The FCC should amend its rules to allow a year for EAS participants to begin using CAP-compliant gear or allow them leeway on the 180-day deadline for “budgeting or other resource constraints,” the broadcaster group said. A FEMA spokeswoman said she couldn’t comment on when the agency plans to release final common-alerting standards.
The NCTA believes “six months is an entirely inadequate period of time for manufacturers to design and build products and obtain FCC certification, and for operators to complete the ordering, shipment, installation and testing process,” the group said in its comments in docket 04-296, a Public Safety Bureau public notice on CAP. “This is particularly so when the product has a very specific and limited market. Moreover, once the necessary software and hardware is received from vendors, cable operators need sufficient time to reconfigure their systems to conform to CAP specifications and train system personnel.” The commission should change Part 11 of its rules to start the 180-day clock for EAS participants when the transmission of CAP-formatted alerts is fully tested by message originators and decoding gear is available “in large quantity,” the cable group said.
A total rewrite of Part 11 isn’t needed before the clock starts, said Sage Alerting Systems, a maker of EAS gear for radio, TV and cable facilities. “CAP can begin to be used with the rules as they exist now, with minor tweaks,” the company said. “Only after large scale practical experience has been gained can we know enough to make major changes to the rules.” Monroe Electronics said more time will be needed after FEMA releases final definitions of some items for certification testing. “Launching such a new and technically involved system is sure to hit snags,” the company said. “The system will not work better simply because we desire it to be implemented faster."
The NAB asked the FCC to start a nationwide effort to provide training for state and local emergency managers about EAS and develop a manual for designing and releasing the alerts that the officials can quickly refer to in emergencies. “Public alerting is a critical function of emergency managers, yet there are no generally accepted standard operating procedures that officials can reference when deciding how and when to activate the EAS,” the group said. “During the often stressful periods leading up to and during an emergency, state and local emergency officials are often placed in the difficult position of deciding without clear guidance whether or not to trigger EAS.”