FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 16, 2009

TIA and ATIS Jointly Release Commercial Mobile Alert System Specification

J-STD-101 on Sale at 50 Percent Discount for a Limited Time

December 16, 2009, Washington, D.C. – The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) and Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) announced the joint release of the specification defining the interface between the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) Federal Alert Gateway and the Commercial Mobile Service Provider (CMSP) Gateway, titled: Commercial Mobile Alert System Federal Alert Gateway to Commercial Mobile Service Provider Gateway Interface Specification, (J-STD-101).

When fully implemented by CMSPs, J-STD-101 will provide anyone with CMAS-capable mobile devices an additional method to receive alerts during emergencies or natural disasters. Materially, this specification will benefit end users by allowing wider proliferation of 90 character, text message emergency alerts and warnings of imminent threats to life and property, Amber Alerts, and Presidential emergency messages. The CMAS is a combined effort between the federal government and CMSPs to define a common mobile alert standard.

In order to ensure coordination of industry and government requirements, ATIS and TIA members worked closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in this effort. Both FEMA and DHS have adopted this joint CMAS specification as their government specification. Going forward, ATIS and TIA will continue joint work with DHS and FEMA in order to develop applicable test certification specifications.

The CMAS specification was developed in response to the Warning Alert and Response Network (WARN) Act. It also supports the FCC's CMAS Rules, and associated development, testing, and deployment timelines – applicable to both government and participating CMSPs. In order to achieve the timeline's objectives, the specification identifies the support interfaces between FEMA-administered Federal Alert Gateway and CMSP Alert Gateways. Both ATIS and TIA were members of the FCC Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory Committee (CMSAAC), which developed recommendations on the technical standards protocols, procedures and other requirements that should be adopted to meet the WARN Act's objective of transmitting emergency alerts using commercial mobile services.

ATIS' Wireless Technologies and Systems Committee worked jointly with TIA's Engineering Committee TR-45 to develop and recommend these specifications. In addition, ATIS and TIA have jointly developed the CMAS Mobile Device Behavior Specification (J-STD-100), which defines a common set of requirements for how CMAS-capable devices will behave upon receipt of a commercial mobile alert.

"The CMAS Federal Alert Gateway to CMSP Gateway Interface Specification was a great example of industry working together to solve an important problem in support of government needs," said Susan Miller, ATIS President and CEO. "In the event of an emergency, this highly-technical, multiparty specification allows participating service providers to alert the nation's wireless users."

"The path to harmonized interface specifications for public safety alerts is clearer in part due to decades of specifications-setting expertise in both organizations," said Grant Seiffert, TIA President. "Strong standards in this area will ensure deployment timelines meeting the FCC rules."

This new specification is available at http://engineers.ihs.com/ and is being offered at a 50% discount for a limited time.

About ATIS
ATIS is the leading technical planning and standards development organization committed to the rapid development of global, market-driven standards for the information, entertainment and communications industry. More than 250 companies actively formulate standards in ATIS' 18 Committees, covering issues including: IPTV, Service Oriented Networks, Home Networking, Energy Efficiency, IP-Based and Wireless Technologies, Quality of Service, Billing and Operational Support. In addition, numerous Incubators, Focus and Exploratory Groups address emerging industry priorities including "Green", IP Downloadable Security, Next Generation Carrier Interconnect, IPv6 and Convergence.

ATIS is the North American Organizational Partner for the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a member and major U.S. contributor to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio and Telecommunications' Sectors, and a member of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL). For more information, please visit www.atis.org.

About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the global information and communications technology (ICT) industry through standards development, advocacy, tradeshows, business opportunities, market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory analysis. With roots dating back to 1924, TIA enhances the business environment for broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite and unified communications. Members' products and services empower communications in every industry and market, including healthcare, education, security, public safety, transportation, government, the military, the environment and entertainment.

TIA co-owns the SUPERCOMM tradeshow  and is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit tiaonline.org.

TIA's Board of Directors includes senior-level executives from ACS, ADC, ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, ANDA Networks, AttivaCorp, Avaya, Bechtel Communications, Inc., Cisco Systems, Corning Incorporated, Ericsson, Inc., GENBAND, Inc., Graybar, Henkels & McCoy, ILS Technology, Intel Corporation, Intersect, Inc., LGE, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, Openwave, Inc., Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Powerwave Technologies, Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, Tyco Electronics, Ulticom, Inc., and Verari Systems. Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates, Orca Systems and Telcordia Technologies.

##