[EAS] The case for wireless relay networks to reinforce EAS

[Richard_Rudman]

Reports of interruptions to the Internet after the Northeast Quake are coming in. Maybe more people on the East coast (possibly even at the Commission and FEMA?) will now be more open to what Washington State calls Local Relay Networks (LRN's) to reinforce links between warning centers and broadcast entry points? The BWWG brought this issue up in our Comments to the Commission. When the SBE was filing Comments on previous EAS issues, the EAS Committee recommended that part of D Block spectrum be set aside for this purpose. The BWWG more recently proposed other alternatives that would not involve new spectrum allocation for local / state government licensed LRN channels, but dedicated channels would still be a good thing. 

Some areas are using lowband VHF channels, but wider bandwidth capability and more suitable pats of the spectrum are needed for CAP message reinforcement. It seems to me that we have to get to work towards a local EAS distribution model that does not depend as much on LP stations for relay. Wireless multipoint distribution LRN's can get CAP (and legacy EAS SAME) messages directly to more EAS entry points.

Other thoughts?

Richard Rudman
BWWG
Vice Chair, CA SECC