September 8th Deadline For CMAS Participation Election
The FCC issued a Public Notice advising all CMRS licensees (all interconnected commercial service providers, irrespective of the band in which they operate or how much spectrum they use) that they are required to file an election with the FCC by September 8, 2008 advising the FCC whether they intend to participate in the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS). The CMAS is a Federally-authorized program pursuant to which the FCC established an industry group to develop technical requirements and protocols that permit CMRS licensees to deliver emergency alerts to the public. Those standards have been adopted and operators who intend to provide this service must comply with them.
The FCC has not provided a form for making this election, but has simply advised licensees to submit their notifications by filing a letter through the normal ECFS electronic filing system under PS Docket No. 08-146.
All CMRS licensees, even those that elect not to participate must familiarize themselves with the CMAS requirements regarding notification to existing and new subscribers about the operator’s ability to transmit emergency messages.
Participation in CMAS is entirely voluntary; no CMRS licensee is obligated to implement the technical capability to deliver emergency messages. Licensees electing to participate may later withdraw and those choosing not to participate now may change their election later. For more information, please visit the FCC’s Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau website.
