FEMA and FCC to take over all U.S. cell phones and airwaves Sept. 20 in nationwide “test”
The September 20 FEMA and FCC takeover of all cell phones and airwaves in the U.S. may cause fear amongst the general populace, some say
Intellihub.com
September 7, 2018
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be taking over all cell phones and airwaves in the United Staes on September 20 to “test” the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts.
From the FCC:
Federal Communications Commission DA 18-754
DA 18-754
Released: July 20, 2018
PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES
NATIONWIDE TEST OF THE WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERT AND
EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEMS ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2018
PS Docket Nos. 15-91, 15-94
Today, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) provides notice to all Participating Commercial Mobile Service (CMS) Providers, Participating CMS Providers are commercial mobile service providers that have elected voluntarily to transmit WEA alert messages. 47 CFR § 10.10(d), (f).
Emergency Alert System (EAS) Participants, EAS Participants are those entities that are required to comply with the Commission’s EAS rules, including analog radio and television stations, wired and wireless cable television systems, digital broadcast systems, digital television broadcast stations, Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service, digital cable and digital audio broadcasting systems, and wireline video systems. 47 CFR § 11.2(d).
and to the public that, as described below, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the FCC, will conduct a nationwide combined test of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) and EAS on September 20, 2018, with a back-up date of October 3, 2018. See Letter from Alfred Kenyon, Chief, Customer Support Branch, IPAWS Program Office, National Continuity Programs Department of Homeland Security – FEMA, to Marlene H. Dortch, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission (filed July 10, 2018) (on file in PS Docket No. 15-91 et al.) (FEMA Letter).
I. NATIONWIDE WEA AND EAS TEST
At 2:18 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), FEMA will send a WEA test message to WEA-capable wireless devices throughout the entire United States and territories. Today the Bureau also released an Order granting a limited waiver of the Commission’s WEA rules to require Participating CMS Providers to participate in this combined test. Improving Wireless Emergency Alerts and Community-Initiated Alerting; Amendments to Part 11 of the Commission’s Rules Regarding the Emergency Alert System, PS Docket Nos. 15-91 and 15-94, Order, DA 18-752 (PSHSB July 20, 2018), https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-grants-waiver-allow-wireless-emergency-alert-test.
The Rest…HERE
