OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), November 15, 2011 -
Today, Sprint
(NYSE: S) marks another milestone in delivering critical and reliable
communication services to consumers during crisis situations by becoming
the first U.S. carrier to offer Wireless
Emergency Alerts on its mobile network.
Wireless Emergency Alerts allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) to accept and deliver warning messages to wireless networks from
the president of the United States, the National Weather Service and
state and local emergency operations centers. Sprint customers will be
able to effectively and accurately receive warnings and safety
information via text alerts to mobile phones that are equipped with the
enabling software and based on their geographic location.
Later this year, Sprint will conduct the nation’s first test of Wireless
Emergency Alerts in New York City, along with the New York City Office
of Emergency Management, the Department of Homeland Security’s Science
and Technology Directorate, and FEMA. The test will deliver a series of
different geo-targeted wireless alerts to multiple Sprint mobile phones
strategically located in Brooklyn, The Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and
Staten Island.
“Providing immediate, reliable wireless communications before, during
and following an emergency situation is trademark of Sprint’s service,”
said Steve Elfman, Sprint president of Network Operations and Wholesale.
“Sprint is proud to be the first wireless carrier in the U.S. to offer
this service, and we look forward to testing this critical service in a
city that is the epicenter of our nation’s financial, media and fashion
markets.”
Implementing wireless emergency alerts on the Sprint network
The availability of Wireless Emergency Alerts on Sprint’s network is the
result of the Commercial
Mobile Alert System (CMAS) – a national program established by the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to the Warning,
Alert and Response Act passed by Congress in 2006.
Earlier this year, Sprint joined the FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski,
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and FEMA agency administrator W.
Craig Fugate in committing
to the deployment of a wireless emergency alert system.
In the fall of 2010, Sprint became the
first national wireless carrier to successfully perform a trial of the
wireless emergency alerts technology with the California Emergency
Management Agency and the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services.
The trial, which took place in October 2010 through late November 2010,
tested the wireless emergency alert technology across urban, suburban
and rural areas; included the involvement of law enforcement agencies,
local jurisdictions and other regional partners; and assessed factors
related to messaging delivery, length and recipient location.
During the next year, Sprint will continue working with FEMA, DHS, and
numerous state and local emergency agencies to successfully make the
alerts available nationwide.
Using wireless emergency alerts on the Sprint network
Sprint’s customers can currently access wireless emergency alerts on the
following devices: HTC
EVO Design 4GTM, HTC
EVO 3DTM, Kyocera
BrioTM, Kyocera
Duracore, Kyocera
DuraMax, Kyocera
MilanoTM, LG
MarqueeTM, Samsung
Galaxy STM II, EpicTM 4G Touch, Samsung
TrenderTM, Samsung
Transform UltraTM, Sanyo
InnuendoTM by Kyocera and Sanyo
VeroTM by Kyocera.
The 90-character alerts will be delivered at no charge to the customer
and have a distinctive vibration cadence and audio tone similar to what
is heard for emergency alerts on broadcast television and radio.
Additionally, notification of a wireless emergency alert will be
distinguished in the handset’s messaging inbox with a distinctive icon.
On devices that are capable of receiving the alerts, Sprint customers
can activate the service by dialing ##CMAS# or ##2627#, and choosing to
“enable the CMAS client” when prompted.
The wireless emergency alerts will be available in three categories –
Presidential Alerts, Imminent Threats to Life and Property, and AMBER
Alerts – and provide mobile users an additional tool for learning of
impending danger in relation to their current location. Wireless users
can opt out of all message types with the exception of presidential
alerts.
Some potential examples of these alerts include:
-
An emergency message could be targeted to cell phones at a stadium
event, informing attendees of where to go or what direction to drive
following a nearby highway accident or chemical spill. -
Emergency information related to wildfires, mudslides, floods,
tornadoes and hurricanes could be targeted to residents in specific
neighborhoods or along routes where the danger is greatest. -
Students and faculty across a campus could be quickly informed when
lockdown conditions are necessary because of a threat. -
If a suspicious package were reported in an airport, shopping mall or
office complex, thousands could receive messages to move to a certain
area until the threat was removed. -
Potential witnesses can learn of recently missing or abducted children
in their immediate area.
Visit Sprint’s
online community site or FEMA.gov
to learn more about Wireless Emergency Alerts and the CMAS program.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline
communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers,
businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 53
million customers at the end of 3Q 2011 and is widely recognized for
developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including
the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United
States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid
brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance
Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities;
and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No.
3 in its 2011 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest
companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn
more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com
or www.facebook.com/sprint
and www.twitter.com/sprint.