Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.
FCC Wireless Emergency Alerts overview:
- Who: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorized testing of the geographic accuracy of Wireless Emergency Alerts across the United States.
- Why: The FCC wants to assess the accuracy and reliability of the emergency alerts.
- Where: The Wireless Emergency Alerts testing will be conducted throughout the United States in late September.
Later this month, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will reportedly test the geographic accuracy of Wireless Emergency Alerts across the United States.
The Wireless Emergency Alerts provide warnings about missing children, dangerous children and other emergency situations in an area.
“Wireless Emergency Alerts are a life-saving tool, but emergency managers tell us that they need more information on the geographic accuracy of these alerts in order to use them with confidence,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel says in an Aug. 30 press release. “Simply put, public safety officials want to know that the alerts will reliably reach the public throughout – but not beyond – targeted areas during emergencies.”
FCC to work with state, local government agencies to analyze Wireless Emergency Alerts data
The FCC will be working with 42 state and local government agencies to analyze data to ensure that the Wireless Emergency Alerts are both accurate and reliable. The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau issued an order authorizing the agencies to test their alert systems.
On Sept. 12 or 13, the participating agencies will send a test alert to mobile devices connected to wireless networks in specific areas. The communication will reportedly make it clear that it is only a test and contain a link for the recipient to complete a survey about their experience with the alert.
The FCC sent letters to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, asking them to provide feedback about the performance of their wireless networks during the test alerts, which are part of an effort by the FCC to improve the accuracy and reliability of Wireless Emergency Alerts.
Approximately 60% of smartphones in the United States are capable of supporting the “enhanced geotargeting” functionality that is necessary for the alerts, the FCC says. As consumers replace their smartphones with newer models, that number is expected to grow.
The FCC previously assessed the delivery of Wireless Emergency Alerts during a nationwide opt-in test in 2021.
And earlier this summer, the FCC adopted new rules intended to improve the resilience of wireless networks during climate disasters like hurricanes and wildfires.
Do you think Wireless Emergency Alerts are an effective method of warning the public about dangerous situations? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
Don’t Miss Out!
Check out our list of Class Action Lawsuits and Class Action Settlements you may qualify to join!
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
2 thoughts onFCC to assess the geographic accuracy of Wireless Emergency Alerts during local tests
We don’t get Emergency alerts anymore for the last 3 years. We moved 13 miles from town and no signal. Verizon lied to us saying that there was good signal in our area but there is little to no signal.
Verizon also cheated us out of hundreds of dollars through different schemes. They not only keep raising our bills quite often, but there is also unexplained fees they add out of nowhere.
Verizon charges us a new phone price on used replacement phones and recently they’ve started calling these used replacement phones as “like new”. We have purchased brand new phones only for them to be defective and we pay a monthly fee for insurance for the phones. Every time we’ve had to get a new phone replaced because it’s defective, Verizon replaced them with used phones that were also defective. After several defective phones later, we decided to try a different brand and Verizon always charges an upgrade fee even if the phone is cheaper than the previous phone.
When my son had to get a new phone because he had multiple defective phone replacements in a row, we were forced to pay of the broken phone which was a couple hundred dollars. Then they charged him more money after that. Then on his next bill, Verizon charges him hundreds of dollars claiming that we didn’t pay those fees. We showed them proof we paid it and they got nasty and told us that if we didn’t pay those fees immediately then they would shut my son’s phone off.
Verizon has also charged me for a defective tablet I returned and claimed I never returned it. There was never proof those charges were removed as Verizon is sneaky with adding charges and changing the names of those charges and fees.
Even at a Verizon corporate store, an employee took my son’s defective phone in the back for some odd reason as he was only supposed to just go in the back to see if they had the phone my son wanted a different brand as they had a promotion for the 5G phones and they were supposed to be free or at least free upgrade with no additional fees. This employee told us there were no promotions and we decided to leave and go to a different corporate store. As we were leaving, my son noticed that that employee had added a second phone and a second phone line and other accessories to my son’s account. I called Verizon to file a complaint and every person I spoke to at Verizon told me there were no charges. I had my son take a screenshot of what the employee did and Verizon just got nasty with me.
Verizon used to have a 2 year contract on phones. Then within the last 3 years, Verizon told me that they never had contracts. Then when Verizon tricked me into a new brand replacement phone for my severely defective phone that still was being paid off, (the defective phone wouldn’t transfer to new phone and calls could not longer be made or received), I was told the promotion was that the new phone I got was to pay off the defective phone, yet I was still charged over a hundred dollars with no explanation as to why. I was told it was a 2 year contract and the phone was cheaper than the defective phone. The non corporate store (was only Verizon store in my county and within 13 miles from my home and corporate stores where in 2 different counties over an hour away) gave me a discount, and then Verizon took the discount away and a Verizon rep told me that they wanted the money back and added more charges onto my bill.
When I just recently called Verizon to find out when my phone will be paid off, they said I’m on a 3 year contract and phone will be paid off in 2025. So they changed the rules to prevent me from leaving Verizon and going to T-Mobile since T-Mobile has a strong signal where I live. Verizon also got nasty and they boldly lied to me regarding when phone will be paid off. I got this current phone in 2020 and they admitted that I did get the phone in 2020, but they insist that my phone won’t be paid off until 2025. That’s 5 years, not 3. They claim I still owe over $400.
Verizon has constantly cheated us over the years. I won’t go back to AT&T because they ripped us off, and now we’re stuck with Verizon and no service and the government doesn’t do anything to these companies.
I don’t have the money to sue them, so what are all of us supposed to do? I’m tired of being ripped off by these phone companies and the government not doing anything about it.
I think this is ridiculous nothing is free add me please