Emergency Cell Broadcasts Tested in the USA

The USA based, Einstein Wireless, a Wisconsin-based wireless carrier, says that is the first wireless carrier in the nation to successfully test a cell broadcast system that will alert people about natural disasters, terrorist attacks, chemical explosions, wildfires and other life-threatening events. Einstein Wireless has partnered with Houston-based CellCast Communications, in cooperation with a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) pilot program covering a group of states, to demonstrate cell broadcast as a viable component of an emergency alert system.

Einstein Wireless is the cell broadcast carrier capable of transmitting emergency alerts across most of Wisconsin, while CellCast Communications supplies the equipment to support the broadcast and demonstrates that cell broadcast technology is feasible across the United States. In addition to FEMA observing the Wisconsin pilot test, emergency management representatives from the office of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg also observed the cell broadcast demonstration that took place in late July.

"Cell broadcasting is the quickest and most efficient method to alert people of an approaching disaster and to direct people toward safety," said Greg Selig, senior director of operations and engineering at Einstein Wireless. "We are proud to be the first wireless carrier to successfully conduct emergency broadcast trials and will continue to work toward delivering this critical service to the people in Wisconsin."

About Cell Broadcasting

Cell broadcast uses a feature already built into most cell phones that enables a government entity to simultaneously send an emergency message to large numbers of cell phones, and only to those in the specific geographically threatened area. The alert message is transmitted over a portion of bandwidth that is minimally used in normal cell calling, therefore not subject to degradation of normal cell phone use during a public emergency situation.

The only problem with Cell Broadcast is how different handsets treat the message. Some simply flash the message onto the screen silently, while others will drop it into the SMS messages folder and beep accordingly."

Posted to the site on 15th August 2006