March 25, 2025

This Week in Amateur Radio

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FCC

FCC adopts improvements to lifesaving Wireless Emergency Alerts system

The Federal Communications Commission is adopting changes to the emergency alert system responsible for sending AMBER Alerts and other life-saving information to cell phones, following through with part of a slate of improvements endorsed by emergency managers in Colorado.

The decision, adopted by the FCC in mid-October, requires cell phone networks and manufacturers to send Wireless Emergency Alerts, or WEAs, in more than a dozen new languages, and include maps that show people their location compared to the area of the threat.

“These improvements will give people precious time to protect their families, homes, and businesses during emergencies,” Colorado U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, who called for improvements after the 2021 Marshall Fire, said.

“They are among the most vital reforms we can make under existing law to make sure these warnings reach people when they need them most,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said upon the FCC’s passage of the changes.

Read more – 9News Colorado: