FCC Planning National SMS Alert System

Both CNN and USA Today are reporting that the FCC is planning to announce a new national alert system that will send important information to Americans by text message. The plan, if approved, will likely see voluntary participation from the nation's four largest carriers: AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile. The plan, as currently written, would allow the system to be used for 3 types of situations:

• Health or safety disaster warnings (including terrorist attacks)
• Imminent or ongoing natural threats such as hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquakes
• Amber alerts (child abductions)

It is said that the alerts could be sent out on a national or regional level. [via PhoneScoop]