WASHINGTON, DC — FCC Chairman Ajit Pai recently commended ATIS’ work on the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system and requested the development of best 
practices to further support the system. The WEA system is a critical tool for federal, state and local officials to warn the public about imminent threats.
“The Chairman’s message shows that ATIS’ work is valued at the national level — in this case, for a life-saving purpose,” said ATIS President and CEO Susan Miller. “Our work is enabling consumers to receive WEA messages in a more precise geographic range and more accurately target at-risk populations while minimizing disruption to others. With the launch of this new work effort, we look forward to expanding upon the innovations already delivered.”
ATIS’ WEA standards, among other things, specify a range of permissible values for wireless providers and equipment manufacturers to use as parameters for enhanced WEA geo-targeting, particularly when mobile devices are in motion. Chairman Pai has requested that ATIS refine discretionary parameters to further improve enhanced WEA geo-targeting.
ATIS’ Wireless Technologies and Systems Committee has responded to indicate that it has begun work on this matter and intends to complete this work in 2Q2021.
ATIS invites organizations to be engaged in its WEA activities. Please contact ATIS Director of Membership Rich Moran.
About ATIS
As a leading technology and solutions development organization, the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) brings together the top global ICT companies to advance the industry’s business priorities. ATIS’ 150 member companies are currently working to address 5G, robocall mitigation, IoT, Smart Cities, artificial intelligence-enabled networks, distributed ledger/blockchain technology, cybersecurity, emergency services, quality of service, billing support, operations, and much more. These priorities follow a fast-track development lifecycle – from design and innovation through standards, specifications, requirements, business use cases, software toolkits, open source solutions, and interoperability testing.
ATIS is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ATIS is the North American Organizational Partner for the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a founding Partner of the oneM2M global initiative, a member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), as well as a member of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL). For more information, visit www.atis.org. Follow ATIS on Twitter and on LinkedIn.
