NAB Petitions FCC on Virtual EAS Boxes
The FCC should amend rules so broadcasters can use software in place of the physical emergency alert system (EAS) equipment currently required, said NAB in a petition for rulemaking Monday. The FCC put NAB's petition out for public comment Wednesday, and comments are due May 2. Under the NAB proposal, using the software in lieu of physical EAS boxes would be voluntary, and the software would need to be able to operate if internet or cloud connectivity is interrupted. The petition stems from a proposal NAB made in 2022 (see 2306020064), which the Federal Emergency Management Agency endorsed in 2024 (see 2407050021). “Given that our proposal has been pending now for over two years, NAB respectfully requests expedited consideration of this Petition,” NAB said.
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The need for authorization of virtual EAS equipment has increased because Sage Alerting Systems, one of only two EAS device makers, is ceasing production of a required EAS device due to supply chain issues, NAB said. “With Sage’s exit, many EAS Participants, especially radio stations, will face significant challenges when they need to replace or upgrade an EAS device.” Its exit “is a clear indicator that the current legacy ecosystem is not sustainable,” and the FCC “needs to permit more modern approaches to support a long-term, robust emergency alerting system,” NAB said.
The NAB proposal would use software that can run on other hardware in stations, rather than only in an EAS box, and wouldn't be “directly exposed to the internet,” the petition said. “Under our proposal, EAS functionality would be no more vulnerable to unwanted internet disruptions (e.g., hacking) than are existing hardware encoder/decoder boxes.” Software-based EAS systems would also let routine maintenance be performed through remote patches and allow stations to more efficiently implement updates related to security issues, NAB said. “EAS Participants would be able to better facilitate system upgrades required by new Commission or FEMA mandates without the necessity of accessing individual physical EAS devices.”