Emergency Communications

20 Members of Congress from the California Delegation issued a joint statement regarding the application for rehearing that was recently filed by wireless carriers at the California Public Utilities Commission. They wrote: “We are outraged that wireless carriers are arguing against safeguards that will protect Californians during wildfire season and that they are doing so as devastating wildfires burn across our state.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the Sept Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Sept 30, 2020:

The Federal Communications Commission’s Sept agenda looks like a well-balanced fantasy team; we’re rolling out a diverse lineup featuring at least one item from each of the FCC’s seven bureaus.

On May 26, 2020, Reps Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), and Darren Soto (D-FL) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to request the FCC to provide an update on the status of communications networks in Puerto Rico and determine whether its residents have maintained reliable connectivity throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The Reps wrote they were deeply concerned about the potential for continued communications disruptions, in light of recent earthquakes and the lingering impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.

The Federal Communications Commission's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau seeks comment on emergency access to Wi-Fi access points as directed by Congress in the RAY BAUM’S Act of 2018. By March 23, 2021, Section 301 of RAY BAUM’S Act requires the FCC to submit to Congress and make publicly available on the FCC’s website, a study on the public safety benefits and technical feasibility and cost of

I’ve been asked to speak briefly about our experiences dealing with the pandemic in the United States, and some of the lessons we might be able to apply to unexpected events in the future. When it comes to America’s communications networks, the top headline is that they have performed extremely well during the COVID-19 pandemic. As one would expect, we saw significant increases in voice and Internet traffic as our lives and the economy moved online due to the pandemic. Our wired and wireless networks handled this surge without any significant service disruptions or declines.

Internet usage soared 25% within a few days in mid-March as the coronavirus pandemic started forcing Americans to stay home and is bound to remain substantially higher than before the pandemic. The increased internet usage has pushed broadband providers to perform round-the-clock enhancements on their networks, in hopes of minimizing hiccups to connection and speed.

The Federal Communications Commission has denied petitions by public safety and utility organizations to stay its decision to open up the entire 6 GHz band for unlicensed Wi-Fi use pending judicial review.

On July 21, 2020, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai responded to several Members of Congress regarding a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report entitled "Emergency Alerting: Agencies Need to Address Pending Applications and Monitory Industry Progress on System Improvements". The Report makes three recommendations for executive action — two addressed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and one addressed to the FCC.

The House Commerce Committee advanced seven communications bills and one House resolution to the full House of Representatives.