Cross-Sector Resiliency Forum Reports Progress

Industry groups met virtually with staff from the FCC Public Safety Bureau on recent work by the Cross-Sector Resiliency Forum. “Recently, over 40 member companies … reconvened to look back at 2022 and review the efforts of communications providers and electric companies to respond to disaster events, including wildfires and hurricanes (Hurricane Ian, in particular), as well as opportunities to enhance our coordination and collaborative efforts in future disaster events,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 11-60. They discussed early activation of and coordination for Hurricane Ian, among other topics, the filing said: “In the days before landfall of Hurricane Ian, relevant state and cross-sector counterparts began communication and coordination efforts, including establishing a cadence of reporting and conference calls. After landfall, there were daily ‘wires down’ and make safe calls between electric and communications companies in hard hit areas, like Lee County, Florida.” The forum is looking for other ways to improve coordination. “For example, federal and state governments can enhance recovery and response by improving the process for distributing access letters that enable electric and communications company teams to enter disaster areas,” the groups said. “Aligning state processes (i.e., rules of the road) is important to expedite response and recovery.” They urged wider distribution of the FCC’s notices about avoiding fiber cuts. Attending the meeting were representatives of CTIA, the Edison Electric Institute, NCTA and USTelecom.