STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER ROBERT M. MCDOWELL
Re:  The Commercial Mobile Alert System, First Report and Order, PS Docket No. 07-287
At the outset, I want to acknowledge and thank Lisa Fowlkes, Jean Ann Collins and all of 
the team in the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau for their hard work.  This project 
has congressionally-mandated deadlines, and they have stayed focused on their tasks to produce a 
great deal of excellent work in a short period of time.
I also want to thank the folks from private industry and public safety who are so 
generously giving of their time and expertise to serve on the Commercial Mobile Service Alert 
Advisory Committee and participate in this important process.  This project is an excellent 
example of the wonderful benefits that flow from a government-industry collaboration.  I am 
pleased that the Commission has had a leading role in the meaningful partnership among the 
commercial wireless industry, technology providers and public safety entities.    
By harnessing the expertise of all interested stakeholders, we have made great strides 
toward the roll-out of an expanded emergency alert system.  We will all benefit from the 
important work this group has undertaken, and I look forward to continuing to work with all of 
you as we complete the next set of benchmarks.  At this point, the Commission is already well 
poised to “get out of the way” and let the private sector deliver the new alert system for the 
benefit of America’s wireless consumers.