Emergency Response Gets Full-Court Press

Earlier this month, Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) introduction The Communications Security Act of 2005 (S. 1703) which would require the Department of Homeland Security and the FCC to work together to develop back-up communications systems that would employ satellites, wireless and terrestrial services. On Thursday, a bipartisan group of Senate Commerce Committee members introduced the Warning, Alerts, and Response Network (WARN), a bill that would allocate a quarter billion dollars to develop a system of geographically targeted alerts across TV, radio, cable, satellite, Blackberries, cell phones, and non-traditional media.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
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* For more on S.1703 see http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:s.01703:

* Stevens To Draft Measure On Disaster Communications
Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said he plans to draft legislation to strengthen communications during disasters. But he did not outline the details of such a measure or specify a timetable for moving it.
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: David Hatch]
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-PUUZ1127420558721.html

* Katrina spurs federal action on VoIP
http://news.com.com/Katrina+spurs+federal+action+on+VoIP/2100-7352_3-5876992.html?tag=nefd.top