Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) service starting this month

As part of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) program, the Wireless Emergency WEA) service is starting up this month. Consumers do not sign up for the free, location-based 90 character text messaging service - but if they wish can opt out of weather and AMBER alerts – but not presidential alerts. Alerts will be issued for tsunamis, extreme winds, ice storms, blizzards, and other life-threatening events – i.e., weather warnings – but not less severe weather watches.

Wireless Emergency Alerts and updates will provide the following information:

• Alert Category
• Event Type
• Response
• Severity
• Urgency
• Certainty

WEA are not the same as text messages. WEA will not have to be opened like SMS text messages, but will “pop up” on the device’s screen.  A key differentiator between the CMAS/WEA capability and the existing Short Message Service Point-to-Point (SMS-PP)--a one-to-one or one-to-few alerting service--is that WEA uses SMS-Cell Broadcast (SMS-CB), a one-to-many service, which simultaneously delivers messages to multiple recipients in a specified area. By using SMS-CB as the delivery technology service, WEAs avoid the congestion issues currently experienced by traditional SMS-PP alerting services, which translates into faster and more comprehensive delivery of messages during times of emergency. – WEA FAQ

• In cooperation with wireless providers (AT&T, Cellcom, Cricket, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless), the system should be implemented through the rest of the year nationwide. The Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) is the system interface to the WEA service.
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