Bill Overview
Title: ALERT Parity Act
Description: This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to facilitate the provision of emergency communication services (e.g., 9-1-1 calls and emergency alerts) in unserved areas. An unserved area is one that has no commercial mobile service capable of providing emergency services because of a lack of infrastructure, destruction of infrastructure, a power outage, or other reason.
Sponsors: Rep. Johnson, Bill [R-OH-6]
Target Audience
Population: People living in or transient within unserved areas lacking emergency communication services
Estimated Size: 15000000
- The bill targets unserved areas specifically, which means areas that currently lack reliable emergency communication services.
- These unserved areas could include rural communities, remote locations, or areas affected by infrastructure damage.
- Emergency services communication impacts everyone within a given area, so the target population includes entire communities.
- Natural disasters and other emergencies affect vast areas, potentially impacting both permanent residents and transient populations like tourists.
Reasoning
- The ALERT Parity Act targets populations in unserved areas, estimated to be around 15 million people in the U.S., primarily in rural and remote regions.
- The expected budget allocation is significant but needs to be strategically distributed to impact these communities effectively, including infrastructure costs.
- Since this affects emergency communication, the policy is vital for safety and security, potentially leading to broad improvements in wellbeing for the affected population.
- Given the diversity in the unserved populations (from farmers to tourists), the effectiveness can vary widely based on location and individual factors.
- For our simulation, we consider a varied demographic representing different regions and circumstances to cover a spectrum of potential impacts.
Simulated Interviews
Farmer (Rural Iowa)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having reliable emergency services is crucial, especially during storms when power lines go down.
- This policy could make our community feel safer and more connected to essential services.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Retired coal miner (Appalachian region)
Age: 67 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having more reliable emergency services could mean life or death in my case.
- If I need medical assistance quickly, every second counts.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 2 |
Tour guide (Northern Alaska)
Age: 30 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- For guiding, ensuring visitor safety is our top priority.
- Improved emergency communications would vastly improve risk management for tourists.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
Student (Rural Montana)
Age: 23 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Affordable and reliable emergency communication is necessary for such isolated areas.
- I've missed important alerts multiple times due to lack of service.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Vineyard manager (Central California)
Age: 52 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Our location is fire-prone; immediate alerts could prevent losses.
- We rely on swift emergency communications for operations and safety.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Rancher (Texas Panhandle)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- An emergency service would be invaluable during severe weather events.
- Communication darkness is a frequent issue here.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Retiree (Heart of the Rocky Mountains)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- A reliable way to contact emergency services could save lives here.
- Avalanche risks are serious, and we need better alerts.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
School teacher (Deep Louisiana)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Better emergency communication would make families feel safer during hurricane season.
- We could coordinate school evacuations more effectively.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Wildlife biologist (Remote Nevada)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Reliable contact with emergency services is crucial here—for both safety and data communication.
- The remoteness poses significant personal risks daily.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Innkeeper (Rural Vermont)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Guests would feel far more secure knowing they can contact emergency services at any time.
- This policy could enhance our business reputation for safety.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $150000000 (Low: $125000000, High: $200000000)
Year 2: $130000000 (Low: $110000000, High: $175000000)
Year 3: $110000000 (Low: $95000000, High: $160000000)
Year 5: $100000000 (Low: $85000000, High: $150000000)
Year 10: $90000000 (Low: $75000000, High: $135000000)
Year 100: $75000000 (Low: $60000000, High: $120000000)
Key Considerations
- The success of the program relies heavily on the technological feasibility of reaching remote and rural locations effectively.
- Accurate identification of unserved areas by the FCC is critical to the efficient use of resources.
- Partnerships with private telecommunications companies could reduce costs through shared infrastructure investments.