The Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Huricane Katrina and other man-made and natural disasters often reveal flaws in emergency communications systems. Here we attempt to chart the effects of disasters on our telecommunications and media communications systems -- and efforts by policymakers to stregthen these systems.
Emergency Communications
FCC’s spectrum-auction lapse stalls next-generation 911 funding
The Federal Communications Commission’s recent lapse in authority to auction off wireless spectrum has members of the House of Representatives concerned about the US's ability to stay competitive in a global wireless market. It has others concerned that the upgrade to next-generation 911 just lost its primary funding source. The Senate recently declined to vote on the House’s Spectrum Innovation Act, a bill that would have funneled spectrum fees into numerous initiatives, including $10 billion for upgrading aging 911 systems.
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Chairwoman Rosenworcel Keynote Address to Mobile World Congress
Three things we are doing at the Federal Communications Commission right now to help get us to the next generation of innovation around the globe.
Verizon advisors slam AT&T’s influence over FirstNet investments
Five members of Verizon’s First Responder Advisory Council are calling attention to a report that is critical of FirstNet’s relationship with AT&T in terms of billions of dollars in investments. The report, which was published in November 2022, was based on the findings of auditors at the office of the Inspector General at the US Department of Commerce. FirstNet is owned by the FirstNet Authority.
FCC Looks to Help Domestic Violence Survivors Access Connectivity
The Federal Communication Commission proposed rules to implement key provisions in the Safe Connections Act to support survivors of domestic abuse and other related crimes seeking to maintain critical connections with friends, family, and support networks. These proposed rules would help survivors obtain separate service lines from shared accounts that include their abusers, protect the privacy of calls made by survivors to domestic abuse hotlines, and provide support for survivors who suffer from financial hardship through our affordability programs.
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Chairwoman Seeks Information on Multilingual Wireless Emergency Alerts
Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel sent letters to the nation’s 9 largest providers of Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) seeking information on how these alerts can start to support more languages beyond English and Spanish. WEA messages provide geographically targeted, text-like messages to mobile devices alerting consumers of imminent threats to safety in their area. Since the program became operational in 2012, it has been used more than 70,000 times to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, or other critical situations.
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Poor Rural Connectivity Costs Lives
Around the country, there are now elaborate alert systems in areas subject to tornados and other dangerous weather events.
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FCC Proposes Rules to Promote Reliable Access to 988 Lifeline
The Federal Communications Commission proposed rules to help ensure that the public has access to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline if a service outage occurs.
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FCC Updates 4.9 GHz Band Rules, Seeks Further Comment
The Federal Communications Commission establishes a comprehensive and coordinated nationwide approach to managing the 4.9 GHz (4940-4990 MHz) band while retaining its locally controlled, public safety nature. In doing so, the FCC solidifies the band’s status as public safety spectrum, while also allowing secondary, non-public safety use as agreed to by public safety licensees through a new leasing model.
Buried vs. aerial—fiber firms try to balance growth with resiliency
US fiber companies are furiously expanding their network footprints to accommodate growing demand from consumers and businesses for high-speed broadband.
Best Buy-Owned Phone Service Faces Angry Customers After 3G Network Shutdown
Best Buy’s Jitterbug Flip phone stopped working for some customers after the start of the new year following the planned shutdown of Verizon’s 3G network on December 31, 2022. “As a result of network updates made on January 2, [2023] some customers with a Jitterbug Flip phone are experiencing a disruption to their service,” Best Buy said.