Martin Pushes Public Safety/Homeland Security Bureau at FCC

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin will propose a new Public Safety/Homeland Security Bureau to "coordinate public safety, national security and disaster management activities within the FCC," he said at the FCC meeting in Atlanta. "The Bureau will develop policies and rules to promote effective and reliable communications for public safety, national security and disaster management," he said. The new Bureau will have responsibility for: (1) Public safety communications, including 911 centers and first responders. (2) Priority emergency communications. (3) Alerts to U.S. citizens. (4) Continuity of government operations. (5) Infrastructure reporting and analysis during emergencies. (6) Disaster outreach. (7) Communications infrastructure protection. (8) Network interoperability and reliability. (9) Network security. The FCC also will provide $211 million in universal service funding to the disaster area, Martin said. "We will work through 4 existing programs to provide this support," Martin said: (1) The Low Income Program will help those who have been cut of to reestablish their communications lines. (2) Using FEMA disaster assistance, the FCC will provide support for wireless handsets and packages of 300 free minutes for hurricane survivors. Those eligible for FEMA disaster assistance also will be eligible for FCC assistance to pay for reconnecting to networks as the affected area is rebuilt. (3) Through the Rural Health Care program, the FCC will support the region’s emergency health care services, doubling discounts on telecom service from 25% to 50%. (4) Via the E-Rate program, the FCC will help reconnect Gulf Coast region schools and libraries. "We will treat schools and libraries struck by the hurricane at the highest level of priority (90%) for Funding Year 2005 and 2006," Martin said: "The Commission can authorize $96 million in E-rate funds for the approximately 600 schools and libraries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama hit by the hurricane."
(Not available online)
See FCC release: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-261096A1.doc
* Martin Proposes New Public Safety Bureau
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6257329?display=Breaking+News...
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
* FCC Eyes USF To Aid In Katrina Relief
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-TUCL1126826735143.html
* FCC Hopes to Learn From Effort to Rebuild
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/15/AR200509...
(requires registration)
* FCC Seeks Crisis-Response Changes
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112682715676642336,00.html?mod=todays...
(requires subscription)
* F.C.C. Chief Offers Plan to Get Phones to Hurricane Victims
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/16/business/16phone.html
(requires registration)
* FCC plans $211M to rebuild communications
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20050916/katrinafcc16.art.htm