What is the Difference Between EAS and WEA?

The US has an integrated public warning system containing several emergency warning systems, including the EAS and WEA. Both systems are under the coordination of IPAWS (Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. What is the difference between EAS and WEA?

The purpose of designing those public alert systems is almost similar, i.e., allowing state or local governments to broadcast public alerts or warnings during a national crisis or a local emergency. However, they have several different aspects.

What are the Differences Between EAS and WEA?

The EAS and WEA are important parts of the US public warning system. Both systems work differently, but they are excellent for disseminating alerts during a local emergency or a national crisis. Moreover, they show differences in the following aspects.

1. Definition

What is EAS? EAS is an abbreviation for Emergency Alert System. The US started using this system in 1997. The design of this system allows the US president, local governments, the National Weather Service, or other governmental agencies to disseminate public warnings to US citizens.

On the other hand, WEA is an acronym for Wireless Emergency Alert. This system is designed to let authorized agencies or state/local governments broadcast wireless alerts concerning public emergency situations.

2. Technology

How does EAS work? EAS employs broadcast infrastructure and various tools to broadcast alerts. One of its essential equipment is SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding). It is a digitally encoded audio signal. 

This equipment will emit an encoded audio signal containing information regarding an emergency. Another equipment will decode the signal and encode it again before sending it to another station. Finally, the system will broadcast the warning message to targeted citizens.

Meanwhile, the WEA system relies on cellular network technology. Its main component is a cell broadcast technology. This equipment allows authorized agencies or governments to disseminate alerts to targeted recipients via cellular networks’ radio cells.

3. Alert Form

What is the difference between EAS and WEA? People can see their differences from the alert forms broadcast by these systems. Alerts from EAS are mostly audio- and audio-visual messages. However, the WEA system sends text-message-like alerts.

4. Delivery Method

EAS and WEA employ different methods in broadcasting alerts. The former uses TV, radio, cable, and satellite broadcasts to disseminate warnings. EAS alerts will interrupt these broadcasts to announce a public emergency. An EAS alert may appear minutes to hours before a disaster.

On the other hand, the WEA system broadcasts alerts to cell phones. Cell phone users will get a pop-up warning message a few minutes to hours before a public emergency. 

5. Length of Alert

EAS alerts are typically longer than wireless emergency alerts. A wireless alert’s length is about 300 characters. Therefore, the former offers more detailed information regarding the emergency.

6. Purpose

EAS and WEA have a similar purpose, i.e., disseminating national alerts, AMBER alerts, warnings regarding imminent threats, and public safety messages. However, EAS typically broadcasts these alerts to people in a larger geographic area.

On the other hand, WEAs are more geo-targeted. Therefore, only people in a specific area get these alerts. For example, the WEA system will broadcast a wireless tsunami alert only to cell phone users who are currently on the shore and living in coastal regions. 

More about the WEA System 

From the comparison above, it can be concluded that the WEA system uses a more modern communication channel than the EAS’s communication channels. For some reason, this system is also effective and efficient for broadcasting emergency alerts.

These days, people spend more time with their cell phones than watching TV or listening to the radio. Moreover, the WEA system can disseminate alerts to cell phone users in targeted areas. Therefore, this system can reach more people without stirring panic reactions among those in unaffected areas. 

This system also offers some advantages.

• Resilient: The WEA system is resilient. Cell broadcast technology in this system uses the radio cells of a cellular network for disseminating alerts. Therefore, it won’t suffer from network congestion even when cellular networks are busy with calls and texts.

• Time-Efficient: This system is time-efficient. It can reach all cell phone users in geo-targeted areas within seconds. Consequently, all people in those regions can quickly respond to the emergency. As a result, there will be fewer victims caused by the incident.

• Affordable: Wireless alerts are affordable. Authorized agencies or governments do not need to pay a single cent for each alert they send. Moreover, cell phones do not need to have an internet connection or cellular service to receive alerts.

• Secure: The WEA system also offers data security to alert recipients. This is because cell broadcast technology does not need a cell phone number database. Therefore, there are no data leak risks in this system.

What is the difference between EAS and WEA? They have differences in technology, methods of disseminating alerts, and communication channels. The latter is more modern and suitable in this era. Other countries can create a similar system to WEA if they purchase broadcasters on smsbroadcaster.com.