Wireless Emergency Alert/Commercial Mobile Alert System (previously the Wireless AMBER Alerts™ program)

Prior to Wireless Emergency Alert/Commercial Mobile Alert System, the public could receive AMBER Alerts on their mobile devices through the Wireless AMBER Alert™ program. This was an initiative of CTIA-The Wireless Association®, The Wireless Foundation™, The U.S. Department of Justice, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Syniverse. It was an SMS text-based system, where members of the public were required to sign up online and designate the areas they wanted to receive alerts for. They would then only receive alerts for the designated areas regardless of where they were physically located. This system was an important evolution in the AMBER Alert program, but as of December 31, 2012 it was retired in favor of the Wireless Emergency Alert/Commercial Mobile Alert System.