[EAS] FCC NPRM on improving EAS just issued

[Sean Donelan]

On Sun, 31 Jan 2016, Tim Stoffel wrote:
> We don't just need a daisy chain; we don't need just the internet; we 
> need both systems.

The Canadian version of EAS, called NPAS, does not use in-band, 
daisy-chain distribution.  It uses out of band Internet and satellite 
distribution.  The Canadian out-of-band model has the advantage of 
avoiding all the problems with in-band program audio accidently triggering 
downstream systems, i.e. no duck farts.

http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/mrgnc-mngmnt/mrgnc-prprdnss/ntnl-pblc-lrtng-sstm-en.aspx

Canada has redundancy and diversity, but doesn't use a terrestrial, 
daisy-chain.

In the USA, FCC's challenge is money and legacy systems.

EAS has a lot of legacy design assumptions left-over from the 1960's in 
it, i.e. lowest common denominator AM radio, audio quality, terrestrial
distribution.

FCC has the challenge of making rules without being able to pay for 
anything.  So the rules are written in such a way to use the "cheapest" 
already available resources, such as the terrestrial broadcast licenssee's 
signal, even if using something or someone else would make more sense.

FEMA has some budget authority to pay for stuff, but the IPAWS budget is 
small in relative terms.  It might make sense to use something like NASA 
Satallite TV to distribute federal alerts, but FCC can't order NASA to do 
something.

The daisy-chain, terrestrial broadcasting distribution model is also a 
lobbying advantage for National Association of Broadcasters.  In Canada, 
it was interesting to watch how the lobbying power shifted between the 
various groups.  In Canada, broadcasters are just one of several 
last-mile distributors of alerts.

http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2016/db0129/FCC-16-5A5.pdf
STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER AJIT PAI

"I am particularly pleased that the Notice now includes a section that 
asks some fundamental questions about the structure of our alerting system. 
Right now, EAS messages are transmitted in one of two ways: either through 
the traditional, broadcast-based EAS protocol or through a newer, 
Internet-based protocol.  Does it make sense to maintain these two 
approaches for redundancy or other purposes?  Or should we switch to a 
single distribution method?"