Cell Phones Join Emergency Broadcast Network

12 July 2006:
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security in the USA, is demonstrating today a new system for warnings to be sent as text messages to mobile cell phones.
The warnings, for terrorist attacks or natural disasters such as hurricanes, are intended to be of use to both emergency responders and the general public. In many cases, the text messages sent to mobile phones will alert the reader to check TV stations for more information.
By the end of the year, Homeland Security expects to roll it out first in the Gulf Coast states, hard hit by recent hurricanes, and then to large cities around the country. Consumers will automatically receive the alerts, but can opt out.
Avi Greengart, an analyst with technology research firm Current Analysis, noted that automated text messages for emergencies are already used in such countries as the UK and Israel.
"I think we're going to hit a point soon, with 3G and so on, where you won't need to go to another medium," he said. "You can watch the video or audio information, as well as receive the text messages, on your cell phone." He pointed out that a 3G system also could provide more bandwidth than the current system, to avoid overloading.