The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is entertaining the idea of using ATSC digital television signals to expand the delivery of emergency weather alerts.
NOAA already has a dedicated FM-based weather radio service and television stations and networks “flood the zone” when bad weather hits a locality but this venture is aimed at using parts of the digital TV spectrum to aid deliver additional NWS information on other wireless platforms. It was noted in the announcement that some of those platforms are dependent upon cellular service which sometimes can be disabled during peak storm periods. Using slivers of digital TV broadcast spectrum or piggybacking on them, as a secondary or supporting transmission source could provide alternative safe channels and harden the emergency alerting system.
According to the announcement, NOAA’s National Weather Service Mission Systems and Technology Office will work with SpectraRep. SpectraRep is a datacasting technology consultant. One thing to be examined is the AlertNow multiplatform alerting system. It aims delivery of emergency messages at computers, tablets, mobile phones, smart watches and other mobile devices to come.
The whole announcement can be found here.
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