Hurricanes Helene and Milton have proven to be two of the deadliest storms in recent history in the U.S., causing unimaginable pain and suffering. The economic impact on the affected regions will be in the billions of dollars. Although Helene hit North Carolina as a tropical storm, it still packed wind gusts of 100-plus miles per hour and dumped unprecedented amounts of rain resulting in a hundred or more fatalities.
This event touched us personally as our daughter, living in Asheville, was in the middle of the event and lost power, means of communication and even water. The storm wreaked havoc with roadways, bridges, water and electrical utilities, fuel delivery and food supplies. Relief teams of compassionate, dedicated people are doing their best to restore normalcy to the region. All should be applauded for their dedication during this trying time.
Cellular Vulnerability
Radio and television broadcasters have for decades provided critical information to viewers and listeners during times of crisis through their newscasts, live feeds and, more recently, their web/app/social media services. From the early days of the Emergency Broadcast System to the Emergency Alert System (now tied to FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System), we have utilized a robust network that provides state and local emergency management officials an avenue to provide critical information to the public.
But we live in a world now highly dependent on cellular communications. In these types of disasters, cellular and wireline communications are often affected significantly. Depending on the population served, cellular communications systems can require multiple cell tower sites. The higher the population, the more sites are needed. And, with 5G technologies, their higher operating transmission frequencies and shorter reception range, even more towers are needed.
Broadcast television facilities can be affected by weather, but with careful planning and maintenance, they have proven to be very dependable. The same goes for radio broadcasters.”
Broadcast television utilizes tall-tower, high-power transmission facilities that cover a large area from a single site in a frequency range that is optimal for small receivers. Comparing cellular and broadcast, a friend in the public safety communications community once commented to me, “You have far fewer tower sites to defend in an emergency.” Broadcast television facilities can be affected by weather, but with careful planning and maintenance they have proven to be very dependable. The same goes for radio broadcasters. Although more than 1.5 million customers lost power in the Carolinas, very few broadcast facilities failed.
Better Tech on the Horizon
TV broadcasters around the country are in the process of upgrading systems to NextGen TV technology, powered by ATSC 3.0. Along with better pictures, sound and reception, it has other new features. Television news departments, utilizing NextGen TV broadcasting, will have the ability to issue far more detailed notifications to viewers to help them navigate through these difficult times through lifesaving “AWARN” advanced emergency alerting and messaging with rich multimedia content and geotargeting.
Also Read: PBS North Carolina CTO Fred Engel Discusses ATSC 3.0-Based First Responder Pager System
NextGen TV allows for data delivery independent from audio or video streams. PBS North Carolina has shown how this datacasting capability can be used to improve communications to first responders. Through a U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant, technology partners Device Solutions Inc. and Triveni Digital built a very robust system that can cover over 10,000 square miles.
In 2023, after the widespread cellular communications failures in the California and Hawaii wildfires, when hundreds of people lost their lives, the FCC issued a request for methods to deliver Wireless Emergency Alerts through alternative means, including the use of satellites, when cellphone tower sites are down. PBS North Carolina responded to this request, describing how the NextGen TV technology developed for first responders could easily be adapted for civilian notifications.
We are still reeling from the effects of Helene. We can never replace those lost. We will struggle to rebuild, but we will. The broadcast industry will soon have the tools to provide critical emergency communications to civilians driven by NextGen TV. We must accelerate the adoption of this technology to bring lifesaving applications to the public.
