CellCast Urges FCC to Include Proven Cell Broadcast Technology in National Emergency Alert System for Cell Phones

HOUSTON, April 9 /PRNewswire/ — CellCast Technologies urges the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) tomorrow to fully consider a proven technology, cell broadcast, in the nationwide emergency alert system for cell phones. On Thursday, the FCC is slated to vote on a committee report that did not specify cell broadcast technology.


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“In the best interest of the general public, the FCC must focus on serving the public safety with a proven technology that can be implemented nationwide immediately,” said CellCast Chief Operating Officer Paul Klein. “We should not wait until 2010 when more lives could be lost to hurricanes, tornados and other disasters or crises.”


Cell broadcast technology is already being deployed in Wisconsin by Einstein Wireless, the first U.S. carrier to implement this life-saving technology. Based on Wisconsin’s successful implementation, other consumer-driven wireless carriers can immediately commence pilot programs so that a national system can be deployed sooner than 2010.


“The single largest hurdle in implementing cell broadcast technology is a funding mechanism to cover the costs of deployment by the wireless carriers and the local, state and federal agencies involved in overseeing or originating emergency messages,” said Klein.


In a few minutes, cell broadcast technology notifies each cell phone within an affected area of an emergency. It uses a feature already built into most cell phones that enables a federal, state or local emergency manager to simultaneously broadcast an emergency message with situational and procedural information.


Unlike text messaging, cell broadcast is a simple opt-in process without disclosing the user’s cell phone number. Cell broadcast does not clog the network, which has occurred with text messages during college-campus shootings and the Minneapolis bridge collapse.


Cell broadcast reaches a person while traveling away from home. If an impending danger arises in their travel location, then they will receive a cell broadcast emergency alert to take life-saving procedures.


About CellCast Technologies:


CellCast Technologies, a privately held company based in Houston, is the only company in the United States that facilitates messages being sent via cell broadcast. CellCast’s Chief Technology Officer Mark Wood authored Disaster Communications, the crisis communication book used by the International Red Cross for training, and is leading cell broadcast harmonization efforts for the United Nations. Visit http://www.cellcastcorp.com/ for more information.


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Source: CellCast Technologies


CONTACT: Brenda Jones of APR, +1-405-516-9686, Brenda@JonesPRInc.com,
for CellCast Technologies


Web site: http://www.cellcastcorp.com/