PUBLIC NOTICE
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
News Media Information 202 / 418-0500
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
TTY: 1-888-835-5322
DA 09-2556    
Released:  December 7, 2009
FCC’s PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU SETS TIMETABLE IN 
MOTION FOR COMMERCIAL MOBILE SERVICE PROVIDERS TO DEVELOP A SYSTEM 
THAT WILL DELIVER ALERTS TO MOBILE DEVICES
PS Docket No. 07-287
Washington D.C. – The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) of the Federal 
Communications Commission today initiated the 28-month period during which participating 
Commercial Mobile Service (CMS) providers must develop, test and deploy the Commercial Mobile 
Alert System (CMAS).  This period was established by the Commission in 2008 and developed pursuant 
to the WARN Act.1 The CMAS is a voluntary service through which CMS providers that elect to do so 
may deliver timely and accurate emergency alerts and warnings to the public over cell phones and other 
mobile devices.2 PSHSB is taking this action as required by section 10.11 of the Commission’s rules,3
which states that participating CMS providers must begin to develop and test the CMAS no later than 10 
months from the date that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) makes available design 
specifications for the Government Interface that will allow FEMA to deliver alerts to participating CMS 
providers.4 The end of that development and testing period will trigger an implementation and 
deployment period, not exceeding 18 months, culminating in the availability of the CMAS to the public.5
Today, FEMA and the FCC jointly announced that FEMA has adopted the CMAS Government 
Interface Design specifications.6 Accordingly, as provided in the CMAS Third Report and Order, the 28 
month period will begin immediately and can be completed anytime thereafter, but in any event no later 
than April 7, 2012.7
The FCC rules establishing the CMAS require an end-to-end architecture, in which a Federal 
Alert Aggregator/Gateway would receive, authenticate, and format alerts received by Federal, state, tribal, 
and local government agencies and then transmit them over a secure interface to gateways administered 
  
1 See The Commercial Mobile Alert System, Third Report and Order, 23 FCC Rcd 12561, 12582-83 (2008) (CMAS 
Third Report and Order).  See also Warning, Alert and Response Network (“WARN”) Act, Title VI of the Security 
and Accountability for Every Port Act of 2006, Pub. L. No. 109-347, 120 Stat. 1884 (2006). 
2 See, e.g., The Commercial Mobile Alert System, First Report and Order, 23 FCC Rcd 6144 (2008) (CMAS First 
Report & Order).  
3 47 C.F.R. § 10.11; see also CMAS Third Report and Order, 23 FCC Rcd at 12582-83.
4 CMS providers will then deliver these alerts to the public via their cell phones and other mobile devices.
5 Id.
6 FEMA/FCC Announce FEMA’s Adoption Of Standards To Create Gateway Interface For Wireless Carriers To 
Receive And Deliver Mobile Emergency Alerts And Warnings To The Public.  Joint FEMA/FCC Press Release 
dated December 7, 2009.
7 The 10-month period for development and testing will end on October 7, 2010.
by participating CMS providers.  The CMS providers would, in turn, process the alerts and transmit them 
to their subscribers’ mobile devices.8
For further information regarding this matter, contact Jeffery Goldthorp, Public Safety and Homeland 
Security Bureau, (202) 418-1096, Jeffery.Goldthorp@fcc.gov.
  
8 See 47 C.F.R. §§ 10.1, et seq.  See also, CMAS First Report and Order, 23 FCC Rcd 6144, 6145.