FCC Upgrading Emergency Alerts with Maps, More Languages, and Potentially via Satellite

The FCC today adopted new rules for Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) that will require phones to support messages in the 13 most commonly spoken languages in the US as well as English and American Sign Language. (Currently, phones sold in the US are only required to support English and Spanish.) It will also require supports for maps in alerts, which will "show the alert recipient's location relative to the geographic area where the emergency is occurring." The FCC is also inviting potential partners to test the delivery of emergency alerts to phones when cell towers are disabled during disasters. "The Commission is seeking partners to examine the feasibility of using complementary technologies, such as satellite service, to address this public safety gap", said FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel. The FCC aims to begin testing in the second quarter of 2024.