[EAS] Multilingual support for CAP messages

[Rod Zeigler]

Sean,
The wireless industry is not required to carry alerts. None, zero, zip, 
nada. Their lobby made this a condition of carrying any alerts.
They only do it as a "Public Service" to their customers IF they (the 
wireless company) so desire, and the pushback from that industry on 
something as simple as tests is amazing.
Broadcast and cable had the "opt out" option removed a couple of years ago.
Since these alerts are sent separately from standard voice and text it 
seems that people could sign up for whatever they want.
There are already 3rd party vendors doing this. I could see the wireless 
industry monetizing this service and provide alerts in the language 
native to the user.
We, broadcasters and cable, are required to purchase and maintain 
alerting equipment. This includes upgrades required by changing alerting 
schemes for whatever reason.
We, broadcasters and cable, do this as a condition of licensing. 
Wireless providers are also licensed and have the technology to send 
alerts (generated by others) in the languages native to their users.
This is why I keep saying that requiring the wireless industry to carry 
these alerts, and also participate in testing, would not only level the 
playing field, but overcome a lot of the obstacles to functional 
multilingual alerting.
Broadcast and cable can, and do, send the alerts but then go the extra 
miles by providing detailed information in a timely manner, which WEA is 
not set up to do.
If we keep spending our time ringing the doorbell, we will never be able 
to get the pamphlet handed out!
Rod

-- 
R. V. Zeigler, Dir. of Eng.
Nebraska Rural Radio Assn.
KRVN-KTIC-KNEB-KAMI