MOBILE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM BEING STANDARDIZED

Posted on August 1, 2012 in ATSC News

The ATSC has begun to standardize an all-new broadcast emergency alert system as an addition to the ATSC A/153 Mobile Digital TV standard, making it possible for future viewers to receive more than just text alerts when dangerous weather or other emergency conditions threaten public safety.

Zenith’s Wayne Luplow (left) and Tim Laud demonstrate the MDTV Emergency Alert (M-EAS) system during the 2012 NAB Show

The Mobile Emergency Alert System (M-EAS) enhancements to the A/153 standard will provide capabilities for delivering multimedia alerts (utilizing video, audio, text, and graphics) to mobile DTV-equipped cellphones, tablets, laptops, netbooks and in-car navigation systems. M-EAS requires no additional spectrum and is an additional use of existing TV transmitters and towers.

REACHING MILLIONS IN AN EMERGENCY.  ATSC President Mark Richer explains: “The ability to reach millions of people with a single transmission avoids the chronic congestion of other communications networks during emergencies.

“This inherent scalability always has been one of the biggest public service benefits of broadcasting in times of emergencies and, at this stage of mobile DTV’s evolution, we believe the time is right to standardize Mobile Emergency Alerts,” Richer adds.  “That’s why we’re moving ahead with a proposal to include the methodology for providing emergency information to mobile/personal/handheld TV receivers.”

BACKWARD COMPATIBLE ENHANCEMENT.  The development of an ATSC standard for Mobile Emergency Alerts, which follows successful field trials of the core technology, has been assigned to the organization’s TG1/S4 Specialist Group on Mobile Digital TV.  Work is already underway to consider backwards-compatible changes to the A/153 Mobile DTV standard to accommodate the new M-EAS capabilities. The changes will not affect the performance of current generation mobile DTV or fixed ATSC receivers.

Posted in ATSC News