Comments on WFO Miami Wireless Application Protocol Service

July 2, 2003

SUMMARY

The Miami Weather Forecast Office (WFO) has conducted experimental delivery of selected products on the National Weather Service Southern Region web site in Wireless Application Protocol (WAP.)  Comments on this experimental service were requested during the period June 12 to June 30, 2003.  Nineteen e-mail comments were received: two were from the same respondent and have been combined.  All eighteen e-mails comments supported continuation of the WAP service, with many requesting an expansion of service for additional forecasts, warnings, or general observations.   In addition to the 19 emails, the Director, NWS, received a letter from one commercial meteorology firm objecting to the service stating that only private sector firms should be permitted to make NWS forecasts, watches and warnings available over wireless devices on a subscription basis.  The NWS referred the letter to the National Weather Service Southern Region for inclusion in this analysis of comments on WFO Miami’s WAP products.

• Facsimile of the original letter as received by the office of General John J. Kelly, Jr., Director, National Weather Service, and the reply by Edward Johnson, Director, Strategic Planning and Policy, National Weather Service.

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eMail Responses

1) Public Response

hi - i just wanted to let you know that for a "work in progress", I think the new WAP site is great...definitely useful and much easier to access and use as opposed to the weather channel's site or accuweather.
thanks alot!


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2) Public Response

Sir,

Looks like a great service enhancement to get this info wireless(ly)! However, my cellphone(a "top of the line" Motorola i95cl) cannot work with the site. I have called Nextel and discussed the problem, they tell me the information block sent to the phone is too big and should be broken down into smaller chunks.

I have attached some photos of the error screen so you can see, the first screen looks great, but cannot select beyond that point.

If you could take a look at this issue it would be great!!!

Fell free to call or email me if you can use some user "beta testing".


PS. Will one day the offshore bouy reports(like the wind data table at
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.phtml?station=FWYF1) be also available wireless?  This would be fantastic for boaters like myself and others in Florida.

Again, thank you


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I checked several places on land forecasts and Marine Forecast and site is now working 100% on the 2 phones I tried. Nice way to break it up also!

       
3) Public Response

Yes, we like weather forecasts available via the wireless web.


4) Public Response

I like the ability to have access to weather n the wireless phone. Our usage would be to suppliment marine forcasts when travelling from one area to another.  For example,  it would be really handy to be able to know the forcast for Charlston when you are travelling from Fernandina to Charlston .  Expansion of the cities would really help.  The vhf provides what we need for the area we are in at the time but it is difficult to get forcasting for a destination that is hundreds of miles away.

Good Job!

5) Public Response

I have accessed your site for wireless weather communication and find it very useful to a traveling boater.

I would be pleased to see you continue this new feature for receiving weather forecasts.

6) Public Response

I want to thank you for adding marine weather info to my cell phone. I hope you continue to support this feature.
   
7) Public Response

Thanks for the info on NOAA weather forecasts and warnings via text messages on cellular phones.  I am very interested in recieving [sic] this service.

8) Public Response

Yes I'm interested in this.

9) Public Response

I had an opportunity to look at it and thought it was very informative.
   
10) Public Response

Recently while boating in Miami area I came across a wireless web site that gave conditions for the coast.  http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mfl.   Does Texas have a web site like this? and if so what is the address.  I feel it was helpful to me as a boater and would like to be able to access a site for Texas as well.

11) Public Response

Very good website. The info is well arranged and I found what I was interested in very easily. I've added it as a favorite and hope we don't lose it.

   
12) Government Response

The wireless phone access to National Weather Service forecasts which you demonstrated to us would be a valuable tool, particularly for those of us who travel frequently.  Within GSA, the managers and some other staff who travel regularly already have Blackberries, which would allow them access.

I am sure it would be of particular use for those who are supporting FEMA in disaster response situations.


13) Public Response

I feel that having information sent to my mobile phone such as alerts would be very helpful in my day to day activities. If I had information sent to my mobile phone it would always be at my fingertips.

14) Public Response

I think this is a great tool.  It certainly helps to have it so localized.
I definitely will have this bookmarked.

15) Government Response

The wireless forecasts would be very helpful to those of who travel frequently.  Thanks.

16) Public Response

Just saw that weather updates would available on my wireless web.  This is a great enhancement! 

17) Public Response

Wanted to let you know that I think the thought of having forecasts available to wireless web and PDA users is a great idea. Within the last month I was out boating and would have loved to have known it was available. I use my PDA for almost everything, and had I known I could get forecasts thru the wireless web, it would have saved me alot of trouble.  Anytime someone offers a service I can get on the PDA its a great thing!

Thanks and keep up the good work.


18) Public Response

I just wanted to send you a note regarding the NOAA weather forecasting WAP tool. I am able to use it fine on my Nextel i90 cell phone, its actually pretty handy to get a quick update of the offshore conditions.

Thanks for the great tool!
19) Public Response

This is a fantastic service. I started using it last month. When I am away from my computer, I check the forecast several times a day on my Nokia 6200 cell phone. When a hurricane has threatened, I have utilized the NHC wireless service. The detail and amount of data available is amazing. It should be extended to other forecast offices throughout the country.
Thanks you for establishing this valuable service.

20) Public Response

The WFO via wireless protocol service is an excellent addition to NOAA's product offering. I have bookmarked the sire on my SprintPCS/Samsung phone.