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Emergency Broadcast System Coming To Cell Phones

Posted by samzenpus on from the set-your-emergency-to-vibrate dept.

gambit3 writes "The Emergency Broadcast System that interrupts TV programming in times of crisis is jumping to a new format where it might be able to reach you better — on your cell phone. The communications company Alcatel-Lucent announced Tuesday that it's creating a Broadcast Message Center that will allow government agencies to send cell phone users specific information in the event of a local, state or national emergency. It will be similar to the TV alerts in that the text messages will be geographically targeted for areas where a tornado alert or major road closure, for example, is in effect."

32 of 256 comments (clear)

  1. will you have to pay for incoming and roaming by Joe+The+Dragon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    will you have to pay for incoming texts? and maybe even roaming text fees as well?

    Will it still work if you have texts blocked? (as to not have to pay for incoming texts?)

    1. Re:will you have to pay for incoming and roaming by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I Really doubt it they'll charge you for it. If they can have Toll Free phone numbers I think they can manage toll free Text messages.

      And if you block texts, I suppose that'd be about the same as having your TV turned off - or not hooked up to any input.

    2. Re:will you have to pay for incoming and roaming by will3477 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I think you bring up some really good points about fees that cell phone companies charge, but I think this is an easy case where you say the cell phone companies are not allowed to charge for these messages and that they by default go to all numbers although I could see allowing an opt-out list (i.e. we have cell phones on most of our vehicles to let them report location, speed etc to us, and the cell phones are in enclosure where the driver can't get to them, so the message notification could get annoying for the drivers). Overall I really think this is a good idea. Luckily we have pretty good tornado sirens where I live, but I've been at the pool on a beautiful day with the kids before only to have the tornado sirens go off and within 20 minutes there be a really bad storm. I've also really complained about the lack of traffic information; one day they closed S.R. 161 but they just had a police officer there directing you to not go on the on ramp without any explanation. They closed it as it was very icy and cars (including the salt trucks) were merely sliding off of it. My daughter's day care was on the corner of 161, so I wanted to know why the road was closed, for how far, expected open time etc. Another time this would have been useful was when a firetruck overturned in front of my apartment complex. It was just south of the entrance, so Columbus police were directing residents to approach if from the north while Blendon officers (who were there as a courtesy as its outside their jurisdiction although they share the department whose firetruck overturned) were threatening to arrest people who tried to approach from the North or who got out to tell them CPD was directing them there and did they have an ETA when they could go home (several of my neighbors were arrested and the situation didn't get better until wifes complained to CPD who used a parking lot to go around the accident and relieved Blendon).

    3. Re:will you have to pay for incoming and roaming by Amouth · · Score: 5, Insightful

      More than likely they aren't going to bother trying to send it to a number.. but rather have the towers in the effected area send out the broadcast message to all associated radios

      the ability to do this exists already - your phone would get it and accept it because text blocking is done at the exchange level not the phone (it could be done at the phone but 99.999% of the time it isn't)

      i'm sure wouldn't be billed because if they send it at a tower level and not exchange level their normal billing message counting system would not be in place and would have to be changed to support it - which i doubt would happen as this would be just yet another government mandated thing.

      while i like the idea - and i completely understand and agree with the need for something like this..

      i'm more concerned with it's use as security theater abuse (have it only send to radios in air ports? can we have some fun with that?)

      Also.. all the dumb asses on the road yapping on their phone - texting their friends - doing everything but driving..

      now just imagine.. your going down the road and EVERYONE - EVERYONE gets a message at the same time - and they all check their phones at the same time.. this could cause some serious accidents.

      --
      '...if only "Jumping to a Conclusion" was an event in the Olympics.'
    4. Re:will you have to pay for incoming and roaming by rwa2 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Oh, don't worry, you will pay for it.

      But instead of a nickel or a quarter per alert, it'll just come as another mandatory "911" fee on your monthly statement, for your convenience. You'll end up wishing they only charged you a quarter per alert ;-P But the government will negotiate the rate for you, so you will be guaranteed that it will be fair.

    5. Re:will you have to pay for incoming and roaming by Obfuscant · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Pre-paid wireless accounts in the US have long been exempt from funding 911 service but there is legislation working its way through congress to change that.

      Not only that, but cities and counties are getting into the act, wanting to add franchise fees to cellular services to pay for E911 and public safety dispatch call centers. The ever-money-hungry city and county pols are unhappy that cell phone callers can clog the lines of the 911 PSAP without paying to fund the call answerers. They don't see the ability of a cellphone customer to make an immediate report of a traffic accident, as opposed to driving to a payphone and calling it in, to be of any public benefit worthy of subsidy. That, and more people are dropping landline phones and the associated access fees and charges and taxes in favor of cells.

      Now, as an old-timer, I know that franchise fees are supposed to be payment for the use of public rights-of-way -- in exchange for $X per sub the cable company can run their cables on city easements and whatever, for example. Cell services don't have that cost to the city so there is no reason to have a franchise fee. In fact, cell companies AREN'T franchised by the city or county so a franchise fee is just a dishonest way of calling for a tax.

      Our fair city tried to push a cellphone tax through a couple of years ago. It failed miserably because it was a tax that they put up for a vote. They just added "fees" to our water to pay for sidewalk maintenance and free bus service for all, so I don't doubt that the time the cellphone tax comes up, it will be a franchise fee instead.

    6. Re:will you have to pay for incoming and roaming by BasilBrush · · Score: 3, Funny

      Wow! A teenage girl on Slashdot.

  2. You mean... by God'sDuck · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Reverse 911 is fantastic. Just ask our neighboring town to the south that didn't use it when their water supply was contaminated. Yeah. My coworkers spent two days in the bathroom instead of 10 seconds reading a text.

    1. Re:You mean... by hellkyng · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Got to see it successfully used when my neighborhood had to be evacuated for a forest fire. They kept us up to date on about 15 - 30 minute intervals with evacuation news. It would have been amazing to have it available from the cell phone at the time. I remember running around everywhere preparing to get out of the house, it was irritating to have to drop what you were doing to find the traditional phone. Sounds like good stuff.

    2. Re:You mean... by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 3, Funny

      What the FUCK? You actually DRINK tapwater? You got what you deserved. Tapwater is only for showering and perhaps dish washing (if you're cheap). In the real world, we drink only bottled water, and possibly San Pellengrino if we're at a coffee shop. Grow up already. Those who sacrifice convenience for security deserve neither.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    3. Re:You mean... by Dynedain · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Tell that to our receptionists that had to go around and erase a voicemail in all our unused phone extensions (that have direct dial numbers) when the sheriff's department sent out a missing person call. Why this one person warranted reverse 911 in a major metropolitan area, I'll never know.

      I don't have a problem with reverse-911 in general, just the particular details as to when it's implemented. In California our expensive traffic indicator freeway signs were re-appropriated for abducted child "Amber Alerts", and more often than not, don't show traffic information any more. I can see other things slowly clamoring for the same access.

      Who gets to decide the announcement and radius?

      --
      I'm out of my mind right now, but feel free to leave a message.....
  3. Uh, would someone care to explain... by goobenet · · Score: 5, Informative

    You guys do realize that EBS (Emergency Broadcast System) was replaced by EAS in 1997, and is now being replaced by CAP (Common Alerting Protocol)... Guess nobody does pay attention to them when they blast em out of the radio or TV... The reason it *CAN* soon go to mobile devices is because CAP is an IP based distribution system instead of an "over the air" distribution system.

    1. Re:Uh, would someone care to explain... by will3477 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It might help if they didn't still use Emergency Broadcast System during the required weekly tests. If that's the name they use, I don't think its that outrageous to still call it that.

    2. Re:Uh, would someone care to explain... by arivanov · · Score: 2, Informative

      Cell broadcast and its use for emergencies has been part of the GSM spec since its inception. WTF is here to implement at all? All you need is to "have a word with the BSC" which inserts this into a paging message going to specific BTSes for specific cells.

      AFAIK, You cannot ship kit that does not have this. At least in EU.

      --
      Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
      http://www.sigsegv.cx/
  4. I'm not looking forward to... by Jamori · · Score: 5, Funny
    ...random texts once a week waking me up at 3am indicating that:

    "This is a test of the local emergency cell phone text system. This is only a test. If this had been an actual emergency, hopefully you haven't disabled text alerts in the middle of the night after receiving all our obnoxious tests."

  5. defeated by DOT plans to jam cell signals? by roc97007 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It sounds like this would be rendered largely moot by DOT plans to disable cell phones in cars.

    --
    Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
  6. How will it work for travelling situations? by Jahws · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm curious as to how they plan to implement it, especially because some people do a lot of moving across the country. Will it be able to warn people who are vacationing (or on business trips, etc) of emergency alerts where they are, as opposed to back at home? The article mentions "geographical targeting," but gives no indication of whether this will be done with real-time information as opposed to phone registration data.

  7. CBSMS? by Fizzl · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Umm, what? There's already cell broadcast messages already defined in the original GSM spec!
    No need to reinvent the wheel!

    These were planned to be used from emergency systems to location specific advertising. Anyone have any idea why it was never used for anything?

    --
    Bot Assisted Blogging
  8. I like the idea by TheDarkMaster · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I work indirectly for the Civil Defense in my state (disaster control). And I can say that the ability to be able to warn all people in a given area that they must seek shelter or where to seek help after a disaster are priceless.

    --
    Religion: The greatest weapon of mass destruction of all time
  9. pool by mevets · · Score: 3, Interesting

    How long before the access control to this is subverted and nationwide penis enhancement texts start arriving?

    I'll take 3 weeks after deployment.

  10. Already get these by brusk · · Score: 3, Interesting

    After the VA Tech shootings, a lot of college campuses implemented an emergency alert system that includes text messages to students and employees. My campus is one of them. The system is not geographically-aware but rather subscription-based, and so far all I've received are test messages (they announce the tests by email a few days in advance), sometimes synchronized with on-campus sirens. But it seems to work.

    --
    .sig withheld by request
  11. Re:oh good, but then slippery slope by necro81 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Did you not see the part in the summar about "It will be similar to the TV alerts in that the text messages will be geographically targeted"? I suspect that they'll broadcast messages to those phones that are within reception of a given cell tower, not for cell numbers mapped to addresses in a given area.

  12. Re:This Could Be Cool by RapmasterT · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I want to be in a large, busy area like a crowded mall or a large outdoor event when one of these alerts gets sent out. For some reason, the thought of seeing almost everyone stop and reach for their cell phone at the same time just seems incredibly cool to me.

    How about when you're standing in the middle of a large outdoor event and 30,000 people all get a serious warning message all at once? Does panic stampede sounds as cool?

  13. Earthquake potential? by Saishuuheiki · · Score: 2, Interesting

    One of the common reasons that is given for having no earthquake alert system is that we can only predict an earth quake a matter of seconds in advance.

    The idea of sending a text message to peoples cell phones, if done with some automated system, could potentially be used for this.

    Though the question is how bogged down the cell networks would get, or if they'd have some sort of universal-packet where the cell-towers simply broadcast it to all phones, rather than targeting each phone individually.

  14. Old by tsa · · Score: 2, Informative

    Oh how modern. We've had that here in Europe for years.

    --

    -- Cheers!

  15. ETWS by demiurg · · Score: 3, Informative

    This system is called ETWS (Earthquake Tsunami Warning System in Release-8 networks, i.e. LTE and PWS in Release-9. It is being pushed mainly by Japanese cellular operators (NTT DoCoMo, etc) and is probably used already in Japan.

  16. A typical "Emergency tweet" by goffster · · Score: 4, Funny

    OMG! A toradno iz comin. proced 2 teh nearest evacushun sheltr

  17. I'm working on this.. by mtxmorph · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'm actually working on the handset side of this, so I can answer some of the questions people have about it.

    It's really not that complicated of a system. It uses Cell Broadcast Services (CBS) which are part of the existing 3GPP and 3GPP2 standards. Some of you may have seen CBS applications in your phones, but they're typically not used in the U.S. CBS is, as its name implies, a broadcast service.. so obviously it's one-way only. If your phone isn't "subscribed" to the particular message identifier (a kind of topic or category), or your phone isn't on when the message is broadcast, you'll miss it. The system has different classifications for messages, from nationwide alerts, to local alerts (like hurricanes), to AMBER alerts. There can't really be any way for operators to charge for broadcast messages, any more than they can charge for other broadcast resources like paging channels, so I think the only way your bill would be affected would be if they do some blanket 10 cent "government" fee for everyone... By the way, the reason they are using CBS is because it does not place a strain on the network, like sending millions of SMS messages at once would (that's important in a disaster situation when people might be overloading the network).

    The special handling on the handset side is to take some specific actions when an emergency message is received.. it has to play a special tone and vibration, among other things. You can opt-out of pretty much all messages, so don't get too worried about being woken up in the middle of the night for AMBER alerts (well, unless you want to receive them). The system supports a monthly test message, but you wouldn't be opted-in to those by default.

    The nature of the cell network allows operators to broadcast the messages to specific cells, so you are not going to get alerts for things happening elsewhere in the country. But the design also allows for national (presidential-level) distribution, so yes, in those cases, everybody would get the alert. The network-side of things is more interesting than the handset side, because of how different levels of the government need to be able to send alerts, and this is mostly what the article talks about (although it's short on details).

    If you have other questions, reply and I can try to answer them.

  18. Re:oh good, but then slippery slope by Satan+Dumpling · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Assuming they are for a reasonable range, maybe the Amber alerts will at least be more useful on cell phones. I find the ones on TV extremely annoying because I can guarantee no lost child is in my house in view of my tv.

  19. Re:oh good, but then slippery slope by silverglade00 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I find the ones on TV extremely annoying because I can guarantee no lost child is in my house in view of my tv.

    Given your user name, I would suspect that the last five words you said are an important qualifier.

  20. Australia has had this for a couple of years. by mug+funky · · Score: 2, Informative

    this got introduced in Australia (at least Victoria) after the bushfires nearly 2 years ago.

    would have been better before the fires, but nm.

    it doesn't cost the user anything, costs a trivial amount to the gov't (when you take into account the running around they have to do before sending the warning, the cost of actually sending it is not bad), and it hasn't been abused so far.

    basically you get (or maybe not, or maybe you get it hours late) a message saying "WARNING. EXTREME WEATHER ALERT AT 8PM. STAY INDOORS" or something of the kind.

    i think only 1 warning was sent when there were some very hot gale force winds in the city. it was probably more as a test than anything.

    they didn't send one when the bowling ball sized hail smashed all our cars up though.

  21. Re:oh good, but then slippery slope by jrumney · · Score: 2, Informative

    But you don't know how it will work in practice.

    Cell Broadcast is a standard feature of GSM that has been there since the start. Usually the only feature enabled is area code or area name, but there is support designed in for all kinds of information services. At least on GSM networks, it would be foolish to use anything else. The tricky bit will be to automatically subscribe existing phones to the new emergency alert service, unless there has always been a code reserved for this and phones are already automatically subscribed to it.