The Weather Notebook: Cellular Alert Obstacles

Cellular Alert Obstacles

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Dave Thurlow, Host

Hi, I'm Dave Thurlow and this is The Weather Notebook. Yesterday on the show, we heard from Douglas Weiser, director of the cellular emergency alert association. Which is attempting to place weather emergency warnings on cellular phones. With this technology, every cell phone in that area will ring and give an alert.

South of Dimmitt, Texas June 2, 1995 NOAA Photo Collection
Now, although this technology is being used around the world, it has met some resistance in the US. Here's part of our conversation:

DT: "Are there any obstacles to this? It seems like such a great idea to me."

BUD: "The FCC, (the way they have set it up), have indicated that they welcome the voluntary participation of broadcasters in this emergency program. The problem with that is, of course, in the commercial arena, it's very hard to get voluntary cooperation unless there's some potential for earnings. And in the wireless industry this really has very little earning potential. We've had major obstacles here. You have an industry that has a solution to a very critical need problem in the U.S. Unfortunately, it's not one where they can see any direct revenues, opportunity in fulfilling it."

DT: "Is there anything that citizens can do.."

BUD: "Yes, there is a very definite thing. It's very important that the subscribers who pay the bills to these carriers, let the carriers know that they expect to have emergency notification implemented as a standard feature of wireless telecomm, just as you would expect it on radio and television."

The hope is that this technology will be in full use in the next several years. For more information about the cellular emergency alert association, please visit our website at www.weathernotebook.org.

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