FCC investigators are on the ground in Hawaii gathering information on last weekend’s false missile alert, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai told attendees at an NAB event about broadcasters’ role in emergencies Thursday. “We want to understand how this mistake occurred, why it took 38 minutes for the state of Hawaii to issue a correction alert, and what needs to be done to ensure that this does not happen again, in Hawaii or elsewhere,” he said.
Speaking of public safety in general, Pai highlighted three areas the Commission is working on: resiliency, alerting and next-gen TV. Last month, the agency sought public input on topics related to the 2017 hurricane season, especially their impact on broadcasters. Comments are due January 22. Pai said the input will help inform workshops the FCC plans to hold this year on improving future response efforts.
He described challenges related to power loss like not having backup power nor fuel to run a generator. “Infrastructure damage, such as downed towers, is another concern. I myself saw a massive downed tower at the top of a mountain in El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico—a critical vantage point for serving the island,” said Pai. The FCC is working with service providers it regulates and “encouraging their efforts to meet these challenges.”
And next-gen TV or ATSC 3.0, provides new ways to reach the public during emergencies; it has the ability to send a signal to wake up your TV so viewers can see alerts, in multiple languages, he said. The technology will also allow alerts to be more narrowly targeted.
“We don’t think we should hold back new services,” said Pai. “Broadcasters should be able to innovate. The work you do is certainly not lost on this regulator,” he said as he ended his speech.
January 19, 2018
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