Emergency alerts to people on-the-go via terrestrial broadcasting: The M-EAS system

Superstorm Sandy, and similar disasters, have demonstrated the vulnerability of the nation's cellular telephone systems. Difficulties include overloads when usage suddenly increases; physical destruction of tower sites; and lack of sustained backup power. In contrast, US terrestrial broadcasters have a proven track-record to supply emergency information reliably, over large geographical areas and for as long as needed, as witnessed in the New York and New Jersey areas as well as in New Orleans (Katrina). Furthermore, digital television service to the home is now extended to mobile digital television (mobile DTV) serving portable and handheld devices including those in high speed vehicles. Mobile DTV is currently deployed in 50 major US cities by more than 140 stations with many more in the planning stages. Recently, the ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) has also standardized the Mobile Emergency Alert System (M-EAS). M-EAS can provide both the familiar text “crawl” emergency alerts, and more complex and useful rich media information such as maps and video. M-EAS can be implemented in stand-alone devices, in cellular telephones, and/or in accessory hardware for existing devices.