Wireless Resiliency Framework Fixes Seen as Needed
From more promotion of text-to-911 to better credentialing and verification of contractors, interested parties had an array of suggestions related to the FCC wireless resiliency cooperative framework. That's especially in light of recent hurricanes, in docket 11-60 replies this week. Industry groups have said the agency shouldn't impose new mandates and should rely on the voluntary approach that's working (see 1904300140).
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Pointing to Verizon restoration difficulties after Hurricane Michael, the Communications Workers of America said the FCC should incorporate into the framework best practices related to telecom network restoration personnel deployment and coordination. CWA wants added compliance requirements related to pre-credentialing and verification of state licenses and employment documentation, requiring subcontractors be listed on permits and carriers submit emergency workforce deployment plans to permitting agencies and get input from frontline workers. The union said credentialing problems kept Verizon contractor personnel out of an AT&T facility where equipment was collocated. CWA said Verizon's contractor seemed to have relatively few people in the immediate days after Michael, unlike AT&T's use of direct, unionized workers in sufficient numbers. Verizon didn't comment Tuesday.
In light of Michael, the wireless industry is "working vigorously" on such issues as better restoration coordination with federal and state officials and identifying how it and utilities can coordinate to avoid power companies damaging the cabling networks used to provide backhaul service to wireless cell sites, CTIA said. It said the idea of requiring bilateral roaming testing among wireless providers with overlapping coverage areas runs contrary to the FCC's flexibility approach to restoration and resiliency. AT&T said additional roaming requirements would run contrary to the framework's aim of facilitating carrier cooperation.
Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, National Association of the Deaf, Hearing Loss Association of America, Association of Late-Deafened Adults, National Association of State Agencies of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, National Association for State Relay Administration and the California Coalition of Agencies Serving the Deaf and Hard of Hearing said implementation of text-to-911 has been slow around the nation. That's despite its critical importance in major incidents. The groups said framework-related coordination and education efforts should include discussions with local authorities and public safety answering points about text-to-911 implementation challenges and development of "a reasonable specific timetable" for PSAP implementation.
The framework "has fallen short of expectations" when it comes to better public safety awareness regarding service and restoration status, particularly with regard to 911 emergency communications centers, APCO said. ECCs haven't seen meaningful benefits from the framework and the FCC needs to ensure carriers establish a carrier-ECC contact database and provide ECCs with timely and actionable situational awareness of network outages, it said.
Georgia Tech's Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Inclusive Technologies said device manufacturers should be included in discussions about optimizing battery life during and around disasters. It said limiting functionality such as turning off GPS and location services make little sense as those services are needed during post-disaster search and rescue.
The Edison Electric Institute electric company association said in a series of ex parte postings that storm restoration could be improved if communications providers, in addition to hardening their assets, proactively tell electrical companies where their fiber is. EEI said that beyond FCC/Federal Energy Regulatory Commission coordination on encouragement of restoration activities, the agencies should discuss other areas of common concern between communications and energy, such as spectrum availability for critical infrastructure. The EEI postings recapped meetings with the Public Safety Bureau and with aides to the five FCC members (see here and here).