The FCC has released a Public Notice announcing the results of its first ever combined Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) and Emergency Alert System (EAS) nationwide tests conducted on October 3, 2018. Among the FCC’s key observations are the following: (1) 19,200 radio and television broadcasters, cable system, IPTV providers, wireline video systems, and other EAS Participants filed their receipt and retransmission results in the ETRS; (2) 95.5% of test participants successfully received the EAS test alert; (3) 91.8% of test participants successfully retransmitted the EAS test alert; (4) 89.9% of EAS test participants that filed the final Form Three reported no complications in retransmitting the EAS test alert; (5) 41.3% of EAS test participants that filed Form Three and received the alert reported to have first received it over-the air while 58.7% of such EAS test participants reported to have first received the alert from IPAWS; (6) approximately 72% of respondents reported receiving the WEA test message; and (7) the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau reports that of the 316 responses submitted through the Public Safety Support Center, approximately 61% of respondents reported no problems receiving a WEA while the remaining 39% either did not receive a WEA or had issues with the WEA message. The FCC and FEMA will continue to analyze the results of the 2018 nationwide WEA/EAS tests and release more detailed findings when available.
