User Needs Group

1
User Needs Group

• Status Report to the Commercial Mobile Service
  Alert Advisory Committee
• July 18, 2007
• Gary K Jones, UNG Deputy Chair

2
UNG Issues Addressed

• The UNG has developed recommendations under which
  electing CMS providers may offer subscribers the
  capability of preventing the subscribers device
  from receiving emergency alerts, or classes of
  alerts.
• The UNG recommends a capability of opting-out of
• all but the Presidential level messages
• all but the most extreme event warnings
• AMBER Alerts
• Actual implementation of these choices on a
  mobile device should be left up to individual
  CMSP and their vendors.

3
UNG Issues Addressed

• UNG has developed requirements and
  recommendations for Individuals with Special
  Needs
• Originally addressed by consumer audience as a
  gap analysis
• These recommendations address those gaps at the
  device level
• Present most important information first
• Keep language simple and avoid abbreviations
• Provide a speech version providers encouraged to
  provide text to speech in some handsets
• Provide unique vibratory as well as unique
  multi-tone audio attention signal
• Do not require multiple key strokes to
  dismiss/save message use intuitive "end" or
  similar command
• Investigate how the CMSAAC can help facilitate
  alternate delivery mechanisms for small
  populations to sign up with third parties for
  alternate format message delivery
• Requirements developed so far are for the text
  profile, however the UNG will pursue development
  of advanced/future profiles for messages
  delivered in formats other than text

4
UNG Issues Addressed

• UNG has developed recommendations on the Consumer
  Notification that will be issued by non-electing
  service providers.
• NOTICE BY CARRIER WHO, IN WHOLE, DOES NOT
  INTEND TO TRANSMIT EMERGENCY ALERTS
• NOTICE TO NEW AND EXISTING SUBSCRIBERS REGARDING
  TRANSMISSION OF WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS
  (Commercial Mobile Alert Service)
• WIRELESS PROVIDER presently does not transmit
  wireless emergency alerts.
• Notice required by FCC Rule XXXX (Commercial
  Mobile Alert Service).

5
UNG Issues Addressed

• UNG has developed recommendations on the Consumer
  Notification that will be issued by non-electing
  service providers, electing service providers and
  partially electing service providers.
• NOTICE BY CARRIER WHO INTENDS TO TRANSMIT
  EMERGENCY ALERTS IN PART.
• NOTICE REGARDING TRANSMISSION OF
• WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS (Commercial Mobile
  Alert Service)
• WIRELESS PROVIDER has chosen to offer
  wireless emergency alerts within portions of its
  service area, as defined by the terms and
  conditions of its service agreement, on wireless
  emergency alert capable devices. There is no
  additional charge for these wireless emergency
  alerts.
• Wireless emergency alerts may not be available in
  the entire service area or on all devices. For
  details on the availability of this service and
  wireless emergency alert capable devices, please
  ask a sales representative, or go to INSERT
  WEBSITE URL.
• Notice required by FCC Rule XXXX (Commercial
  Mobile Alert Service).

6
UNG Issues Being Addressed

• The UNG in conjunction with the other working
  groups have developed draft recommendations on
  CMA message elements.
• Sender Name (agency type, i.e. police, fire,
  national weather service, etc.)
• Event Category and Event Type
• Area Description (county or counties, e.g.
  Maricopa County)
• Expiration time (Represented as a distinct time
  e.g., until 0930 AM)
• Response description (action to be taken)
• The necessity of all these elements and their
  order of presentation is still under discussion.
• Specific fields in the CAP message will be used
  by the Alert Gateway to develop the CMA message
  and send it to the carriers.
• Example - NWS issues Tornado Warning Fairfax
  County until 3 PM. Take Cover Immed" (69
  Characters)

7
UNG Issues Being Addressed

• Issues still being investigated by the UNG
• Volume level for audio attention signal
• How to indicate the expiration time for the event
  (use of time zones, daylight savings time, etc.)
• Text strings associated with the values in the
  CAP field
• Retransmission times
• Rebroadcast responsibilities