UPDATE The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s telecom panel plans to hold a hearing with the FCC on public safety following the false emergency alert sent in Hawaii over the weekend, warning of an incoming missile. The false message was sent to cell phones as a Wireless Emergency Alert and over TV, cable and radio over the Emergency Alert System. The committee said the event will take place “sometime in the coming weeks,” according to lawmakers.
“A reliable and strong communications service can save lives during a disaster, but the public needs to be able to trust that the emergency alert they receive is legitimate,” Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr., (D-NJ), Communications and Technology Chair Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Mike Doyle (D-PA), said in a statement. “We need to make sure that a mistake like what happened in Hawaii never happens again. The upcoming hearing will be an important opportunity to hear from the commissioners as they continue to investigate the incident.” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has said an investigation into the alert is “well underway,” Inside Towers reported.
January 18, 2018
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