Einstein Wireless Becomes First Carrier in United States to Launch Cellular Broadcast Emergency Alert System

Einstein Wireless, a Wisconsin-based wireless carrier, has become the only wireless carrier in the nation to launch a cell broadcast system that will alert its subscribers about natural disasters, terrorist attacks, chemical explosions, wildfires and other life-threatening events. This first-of-its-kind implementation in the United States utilizes Einstein Wireless' GSM network, capable of transmitting emergency alerts across most of Wisconsin, and Houston-based CellCast Technologies' notification equipment to broadly distribute emergency alerts via cell phone.

"Together with CellCast Technologies and with support from FEMA, we've been testing cell broadcast capability in Wisconsin and are now making it available to our subscribers throughout the state," said John Altamura, president of Einstein Wireless. "This technology will reach a greater percentage of the population in a timely way, improve emergency response times and enable geographic-specific alerts -- all using the most advanced broadcast medium available today. We are looking forward to working with local universities, corporations and the community to improve emergency response times and our overall security."

"People have relied on the entertainment vehicles of television and radio to deliver emergency alerts for more than 50 years. Meanwhile, the cell phone has emerged as an always-on communication vehicle for more than 80 percent of the nation's population, making it an ideal medium for delivering emergency alerts," said Paul Klein, chief operating officer of CellCast Technologies. "We commend FEMA for piloting the use of this twenty-first-century technology to significantly improve our nation's emergency alert systems."

Einstein Wireless subscribers will receive relevant emergency alerts via cell broadcast upon phone set up. Subscribers can easily program their phones to receive the alerts by following the directions located at www.einsteinwireless.net.

The Warnings, Alerts, and Response Network (WARN) Act required the Federal Government to expand the methods for transmitting emergency alert messages beyond audio alerts delivered on radio and television stations. Cell broadcast technology supports the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Integrated Public Alert and Warning System goal of delivering targeted and coordinated alerts and warnings over more media devices to more people, anywhere and at anytime.

Cell broadcast uses a feature already built into most cell phones that enables a government entity to simultaneously send an emergency message to large numbers of cell phones, and only to those in the specific geographically threatened area. The alert message is transmitted over a portion of bandwidth that is minimally used in normal cell calling, therefore not subject to degradation of normal cell phone use during a public emergency situation.