Communications Sector: Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources

Sector Overview

The Communications Sector is an integral component of the U.S. economy as it underlies the operations of all businesses, public safety organizations, and government. Over 25 years, the sector has evolved from predominantly a provider of voice services into a diverse, competitive, and interconnected industry using terrestrial, satellite, and wireless transmission systems. The transmission of these services has become interconnected; satellite, wireless, and wireline providers depend on each other to carry and terminate their traffic and companies routinely share facilities and technology with each other to ensure interoperability.

A majority of the Communications Sector is privately owned, requiring the Department to work closely with the private sector and its industry associations to identify infrastructure, assess risks, prioritize risks, develop protective programs, and measure program effectiveness.

The Communications Sector has critical interdependencies with:

• the Energy Sector, for power to run cellular towers, central offices, and other critical communications facilities;
• the Information Technology Sector, for critical control systems and services; and
• other critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) sectors.

All CIKR sectors have critical dependencies with the Communications Sector. For example:

• the Banking and Finance Sector relies on communications for the transmission of transactions and operations of financial markets;
• the Emergency Services Sector depends on communications for directing resources, coordinating response, alerting the public, and receiving emergency 911 calls; and
• the Postal and Shipping Sector uses communications for its control systems, tracking shipments, and regular communications requirements.