Federal Register #2026-15600

FCC Proposed Rulemaking to Modernize Emergency Alert Systems

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is seeking public comment on proposed rules to modernize the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA): - Government Buyer: - Federal Communications Commission (FCC) - Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau - No specific OEMs or commercial vendors are named in the proposal - Products/Services Requested: - EAS Software: Software integrated within EAS Participants' audio/video processing systems to manage EAS requirements (not cloud-based) - Key Proposed Requirements: - Require digital signature authentication for all CAP EAS messages to prevent false alerts - Implement a universal alert message identifier to reduce duplicate alerts - Improve geotargeting accuracy by eliminating outdated exceptions - Allow use of EAS software in place of dedicated hardware - Retire 90-character WEA messages - The FCC invites technical, operational, and cybersecurity feedback from stakeholders, including broadcasters and mobile service providers - No specific part numbers, quantities, or procurement of goods/services is requested at this stage

Description

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comments on proposed rules to enhance the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). The goal is to make these systems more resilient, flexible, and useful by improving security measures such as digital signatures for alert authentication and enhancing geographic targeting accuracy. The proposal also addresses the modernization of alert message identification and location codes to improve alert relevance and reduce alert fatigue. Public comments are invited to help shape these improvements.

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