FCC gives national SMS alert system stamp of approval

As expected, the FCC today approved plans to roll out a nationwide SMS-based alert system, which is now all but certain to be adopted by all four national carries, and no doubt most regional carriers as well. As CNN reports, under the new plan, the FCC will appoint a federal agency tasked with creating the messages, which will in turn be passed on to participating carriers (which will have ten months to comply with the system once the agency is named). Those messages will be limited to one of three categories of emergencies, including disasters like a terrorist attack, ongoing threats like hurricanes or earthquakes, or child abductions or amber alerts. Also as we had heard before, individuals will be able to opt out of the system if they so desire, and carriers will be required to provide distinct vibration and audio alert options for people with disabilities.

[Thanks, Ron]

[Apreche @ Apr 10th 2008 3:17PM]

This actually make me feel a lot better. As I don't watch Television, and I don't have a radio that isn't in my car, I have often worried that I might not be aware of emergency broadcasts. All of my information feeds are pull, not push. But emergency broadcast is the one thing I really need to push. This solves that problem. I hope they implement it properly.

[Nikola @ Apr 10th 2008 3:43PM]

Now you know they're gonna be "blowing up" your phone with phony terror threats as election day approaches.

Welcome to the Fascist States of America.

[Totalfixation @ Apr 10th 2008 3:45PM]

If they blow up my phone with so many alerts they better make the texts free. Because I only have so much per month. aka iphone sms plan.

[Nikola @ Apr 10th 2008 3:49PM]

Arm yourselves with knowledge, people. And when they make that a crime, there's always bullets.

http://www.prisonplanet.com/archives_faketerror.html

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Apr 10th 2008 4:03PM]

Nikola,
The Republicans had all the tools of government in their control before the 2006 elections. If what you obviously fear had come to pass, they'd still be in control. As you know, Democrats took control of the House and Senate in that year. And to think that after Bush's re-election in 2004 there was talk that the Republicans would reign forevermore. Ha!

It seems that America always rights itself eventually. Don't freak out too much when things look bad. But don't let down your guard either. If you lay off the slander and revolutionary talk of "arm yourselves...people", we'll be cool.

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Nov 4th 2008 11:09PM]

Told you so.

[phanbouy @ Apr 10th 2008 3:17PM]

is that a new logo? looks like the F has a giant claw that's going to grab us and feed us to its babies in a nest high above

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Apr 10th 2008 3:26PM]

That's the same logo that's been on the back of pretty much everything that's electronic for as long as I can remember. It looks a lot different in black and white though; so much so that I had to double check with the bottom of my computer.

[air12ick @ Apr 10th 2008 3:21PM]

I just hope they do not charge us for these text messages. As of right now, I am pay-per-use, and it is costing me 20 cents to recieve a text message. A total rip off if you ask me (btw it is AT&T wireless if you are wondering). I do not want to pay and additional $5 a month for the ability to text 5 times through the month.

[mike @ Apr 10th 2008 5:17PM]

well, maybe you should actually sign a contract and stop being cheap "i dont want to be commited to a company for 2 years" then pay all the extra fees of prepaid and stfu

[Philippe @ Apr 10th 2008 5:55PM]

Well, if a tornado comes your way, 20 cents seems pretty cheap. Of course, I hope the whole system will be location-aware.

[air12ick @ Apr 10th 2008 6:20PM]

Just want to let you know, I am on a 2 year contract...I put up more than 120 dollars each bill...do you call that cheap?!? I am in the process of trying to make that bill smaller not larger. Why would I want to pay 1440 dollars a year for cell phone service?

[maryland157 @ Apr 10th 2008 8:25PM]

I have a pay as you go plan the dollor a day when you make a voice call. I just find it more worth it for me since I don't use my phone that much (but sometimes I have a long conversation and thats why I have the dollor a day). Also I thought At&t was 15 cents per message (I should know since my girl friend when she calls me and I am not able to get to my phone , she texts me what could have been 10 cents(10 cents for listening to the message) is 15 cent this.

[Wwhat @ Apr 11th 2008 11:59AM]

You guys pay for receiving? what the hell kind of nonsense is that.

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Apr 10th 2008 3:21PM]

I hope we'll be able to opt out of individual alerts rather than opting out of the service entirely. The chances of me spotting persons involved in an "Amber alert" are equivalent to my lottery odds. The same low odds also figure for a "terrorist attack", but I suppose I'd like to actually hear about it.

[phanbouy @ Apr 10th 2008 3:24PM]

This is only a test. If this were "real" it'd be sure to cause George Orwell to be rolling in his grave.

[ethana2 @ Apr 10th 2008 6:18PM]

Who cares about /you/? Multiply yourself by a few million and the odds go up.
..which is the whole point.

...and amber alerts are by far more productive than the lottery.

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Apr 10th 2008 10:02PM]

I'm not against the idea of helping people find their kids. But the frequency of amber alerts being issued is rather bothersome. Most of the time the search is resolved without the public's help, and in several cases I've witnessed false alarms (child was with a relative or something).

Maybe when I'm old and/or retired I wouldn't mind being woken at 3 AM by an Amber alert. Until then, there will be plenty of people who won't mind, or are too lazy to configure which alerts they receive (if this is possible).

My concern really boils down to how this will be implemented. Will there be a web interface to set preferences? Will it be run by the FCC, or by individual TelCo's? Will you have to send a text message to opt-in or out? I really like the idea of being able to get emergency alerts, I'm just afraid it will be an all-or-nothing system.

[Alex Haas @ Apr 10th 2008 3:24PM]

DIGG!!

http://digg.com/tech_news/FCC_gives_national_SMS_alert_system_stamp_of_approval

[Chris @ Apr 10th 2008 3:24PM]

Whats SWITCHED? I've never been there before I saw the link at the top of the page.

[Darkroom @ Apr 10th 2008 3:26PM]

SMS amber alerts are a GREAT idea...

and i love LOVE the new design and layout of Engadget!! much more modern... good job engadget!

[fuma @ Apr 10th 2008 3:32PM]

Missing kids do not concern me as a matter of my life and death, as does say, an impending meteor strike... so let's keep that off my mobile, I really coundn't care less. yes, I'm an ass.

[Lowest Ranked @ Apr 10th 2008 3:57PM]

Hey, well I guess the saying "You are what you eat" couldn't be more true.

[Stace @ Apr 10th 2008 7:16PM]

Ugh. No thanks. It's bad enough when my weather radio goes off at three in the morning over some custody dispute. I don't need my phone doing it. If I can opt out of "Amber alerts", I'm very interested in this. Otherwise I'm opting out of everything.

[MaxRC @ Apr 10th 2008 3:26PM]

How long before someone hacks the system and sends an SMS to all cell phones in the US with:

"Pink!e pW0nT!!"

[phanbouy @ Apr 10th 2008 3:30PM]

im in ur alurt sistim. spammin ur sell fones

[anonym00se @ Apr 10th 2008 3:35PM]

"i herd u leik mudkipz?" FTW

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Apr 10th 2008 3:39PM]

That's a good point. This will be the first US system that can communicate with virtually all citizens at the same time, instantly. This seems likely to be one of the most tempting targets for hackers to show off. More troubling is the possibility of a hacker creating a mass panic situation.

[octoberasian @ Apr 10th 2008 4:42PM]

I can just imagine a couple messages that could be sent by hackers:
"Bush: All your base are belong to us."

or..

"Resistance is futile, America."

or..

"There is a bomb here. RUN!"

[Frankenstein Black @ Apr 10th 2008 3:31PM]

Great, now we can get terrorized when we are away from the TV or radio. How approving that Sirius/XM merger? How about that?

[Blue Sunshine @ Apr 10th 2008 3:34PM]

I can easily see this being used as an advertising scheme:

"NATIONAL ALERT: Hurricane heading to your city. Brought to you by HeadOn, Apply Directly To the Forehead"

Sigh.

[Munkcy @ Apr 10th 2008 4:12PM]

Warning! TERROR ALERT level elevated to ORANGE. Brought to you buy delicious Florida Orange Juice: Part of a Balanced Breakfast.

[kentavos @ Apr 10th 2008 3:43PM]

If the carriers charge for the texts, they can all go to hell. Well, they can probably go anyways. What's worse than hell?

They can all call into their customer service lines.

[andyg8180 @ Apr 10th 2008 3:46PM]

opt out for me...

Hey... another tax we get to pay for!! WOO HOOOO!!!

[phanbouy @ Apr 10th 2008 3:48PM]

let's hope funds get used better than on the census PDA debacle!

[Jon Doe. @ Apr 10th 2008 4:13PM]

While you are at it why don't you call up and opt out of 911, and the emergency broadcasting service. Oh and lets stop putting money into our roads and bridges, oh and radars at airports? Bah...air traffic control is for pansies.

Its called infrastructure enhancements dumbass. Let me guess. Republican...we don't need no stinking infrastructure....right?

[BigD145 @ Apr 10th 2008 5:21PM]

We stopped putting money into roads and bridges ages ago.

[Boarderwoot @ Apr 10th 2008 3:53PM]

voluntary systems like this are poping up on collge campuses all around the country which allow the students to "opt-in" to get instant info on shootings and what not. the same should apply to this. you shouldn't have to opt-out of something that definitely has the potential of being abused. and as far as it goes they'll probably add another line at the end of your montly statement that will go unnoticed by 99 percent of the population stating the $.99 emergency broadcast fee.

[Jon Doe. @ Apr 10th 2008 4:01PM]

Screw terror threats. I'd be more interested in having this broadcast from cellular towers that have a tornado within proximity to them or are in the path of a tornado. Send a picture of the path of a tornado to your cell along with ETA's as to when it will hit each city along the way. The number of lives this could save.....

[BigD145 @ Apr 10th 2008 5:24PM]

Screw that. People don't know how to build homes in tornado alley. If enough tornadoes hit them, maybe they'll learn. If not, they are "gone with the wind" and I'm fine with that.

[andyg8180 @ Apr 10th 2008 5:24PM]

BOOOOO... FAKE... UR GAY!!!


loser... go spam elsewhere...

[Chris G. @ Apr 10th 2008 4:11PM]

I think this is a wonderful idea and long overdue. Especially in cases like tornados where people could be sleeping while a tornado alert is out. I know in my case, I always have my cell phone on and next to my bed when I'm sleeping...there is no way I will hear a TV or radio alert, so this is the next best thing.

[phanbouy @ Apr 10th 2008 4:14PM]

let's hope that FEMA's not in charge of it!

[Kevin @ Apr 10th 2008 4:16PM]

Can;t wait till this mother gets hacked... stupid fools.

[Hoos @ Apr 10th 2008 4:18PM]

Jesus Christ this pisses me off. I'm opting out of all text messaging now. I don't need freaking lame ass warnings from the guvamint, I have zero interest in paying for them, and when did it become so damned acceptable to intrude on MY LIFE without MY APPROVAL.

The current warning system we have where I live (cable and dish broadcasts interrupted if a chemical leak) either don't show up until well after the fact, don't show up at all, or are simple tests (like the Emergency Broadcast System).

The guvamint needs to spend more time governing and less time wasting taxpayer resources with dippy ideas like this.

/rant off

[hawksfan03 @ Apr 10th 2008 4:20PM]

We have something similar to this set up at my college. We had a gun threat (turned out to be nothing but anyway) it took almost an hour after the message was sent before most messages were received on cell phones. There are 12,000 students at my school (university of northern iowa) and we had to sign up to be on this so I am guessing 5,000 messages were sent out. If we have 50 million messages sent out, how long is it going to take, and how much will it slow things down? I am in favor of this, but if it takes too long to get the messages out then it defeats the purpose

[BigD145 @ Apr 10th 2008 5:33PM]

I had a high school that went through about a few hundred bomb threats each year. How many times did they warn students or evacuate anyone? 0!!! This was way before 9/11, so I guess Bush/Cheney weren't very original about ignoring intelligence reports on plane hijackings by Osama within US borders with the intent to hit buildings.

B"Should we warn anyone?"
C"Nah. Let's encourage airports to lower their security, instead."
B"We could also warn people when there is no threat."
C"That's so stupid, it just might work."

[STNC @ Apr 10th 2008 4:29PM]

OMG TRNDO!

[Weeze-dog @ Apr 10th 2008 4:33PM]

Great, I'm guessing I will also be billed for each of these emergency SMS messages at the standard rate of, what, .05 a message? Just another way to nickel and dime us I'm sure.
And yes there are still some of us who don't want or need a 5,000 text message plan for $4.99.....

[Brian @ Apr 10th 2008 5:28PM]

Wasn't there a big stir in December about how so many people send SMS messages at midnight on New Year's Eve/Day that it clogs the phone tubes up and message delivery gets delayed, sometimes by several hours? How would sending messages to millions of phones simultaneously work again?