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ATSC Moves to Standardize Mobile Emergency Alerts
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The Advanced Television Systems
Committee has begun to standardize the new broadcast emergency alert system as
an addition to the ATSC A/153 Mobile Digital TV standard. The work will make it
possible for mobile DTV viewers to receive rich-media alerts during emergency
conditions.
The Mobile Emergency Alert System (M-EAS)
enhancements to the A/153 standard will provide capabilities for delivering
messages with video, audio, text, and graphics to mobile DTV-enabled
cellphones, tablets, laptops, netbooks and in-car navigation systems. M-EAS
requires no additional spectrum and is an additional use of existing TV
transmitters and towers.
“The ability to reach millions
of people with a single transmission avoids the chronic congestion of other
communications networks during emergencies. This inherent scalability always
has been one of the biggest public service benefits of broadcasting in times of
emergencies. And, at this stage of mobile DTV’s evolution, we believe the time
is right to standardize mobile emergency alerts. We’re moving ahead with a
proposal to include the methodology for providing emergency information to
mobile/personal/handheld TV receivers,” said ATSC President Mark Richer.
The ATSC’s decision to standardize M-EAS follows a nationwide
pilot project that delivered rich multimedia emergency alerts to prototype
mobile DTV receivers and proved the viability of M-EAS. The year-long pilot
project was undertaken by the Public Broadcasting Service and LG Electronics.
It was co-funded by the Corp. for Public Broadcasting, LG and Zenith and
received technical support and additional funding from NAB Labs, Roundbox and
Harris Corporation.
The development of an ATSC standard
for Mobile Emergency Alerts has been assigned to the organization’s TG1/S4
Specialist Group on Mobile Digital TV. Work is already underway to consider
backwards-compatible changes to the A/153 Mobile DTV standard to accommodate
the new M-EAS capabilities. The changes will not affect the performance of
current generation mobile DTV or fixed ATSC receivers.
--TV Technology
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