Emergency Alert System Shift: Software vs Hardware
Broadcasting Associates Advocate for Transition to Digital Emergency Alert System Software, Support from Cable Sector
The cable industry has expressed support for the National Association of Broadcasters' (NAB) plan to introduce software-based Emergency Alert Systems (EAS), replacing traditional hardware-based ones.
The NAB, in a petition (PS Docket Nos. 15-94 & 22-329), filed in late March, is urging swift action due to hardware supplier Sage Alerting Systems ceasing production, making the current legacy ecosystem unsustainable.
Digital Alert Systems, the other provider of hardware-based EAS systems, has voiced concerns about the proposal's timeliness and highlighted unresolved issues like cybersecurity and regulatory compliance, as well as operational challenges with software-only EAS platforms.
NCTA-The Internet & Television Association, a major cable operators' trade group, commends advancements made in alerting system upgrades, including the use of the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP). They see the NAB's software-based EAS proposal as an opportunity to keep emergency alerting at par with modern technology, provided it remains secure and not fully internet-connected or cloud-based.
The Society of Broadcasters Engineers (SBE) also supports the NAB's proposal.
While DAS, the primary critic, continues to air concerns, the industry appears to be leaning towards a more flexible, adaptable solution like software-based EAS systems.
Further Reading:
- NAB Urges FCC to Allow Software-Based EAS Systems
- DAS Voices Concerns About NAB's Proposed Software-Based EAS
- SBE Backs NAB's Proposal for Software-Based EAS
- The cable industry supports the National Association of Broadcasters' (NAB) plan to transition Emergency Alert Systems (EAS) from hardware to software-based solutions.
- The NAB's petition for software-based EAS systems, filed in March, has urged swift action due to the cessation of production by hardware supplier Sage Alerting Systems.
- Digital Alert Systems, another hardware-based EAS system provider, voices concerns about the proposal's timeliness, unresolved cybersecurity issues, regulatory compliance, and operational challenges with software-only EAS platforms.
- The NCTA-The Internet & Television Association commends advancements made in alerting system upgrades, sees the NAB's software-based EAS proposal as an opportunity for modernization, but emphasizes the importance of security and limited internet or cloud connectivity.
- The Society of Broadcasters Engineers (SBE) also supports the NAB's software-based EAS proposal.
- Despite the primary critic's ongoing concerns, the industry seems to favor more flexible and adaptable solutions like software-based EAS systems.
- The NextGen TV standard, which incorporates IP transmission, data-and-cloud-computing technology, and digital data, represents the future of broadcasting and could potentially be utilized in the production, transmission, and decoding of software-based EAS content.
- In the realm of video, encoders and decoders play a crucial role in the transformation of broadcast content into a digital format, making them valuable components in the implementation of software-based EAS systems.
