Broadband & Public Safety and Homeland Security
Public Safety and Homeland Security Highlights
Broadband investment will help us lead the world in 21st century public safety and homeland security communications. Here’s how we get there:
Create a Nationwide Interoperable Public Safety Wireless Broadband Communications Network.
Broadband technologies will give first responders new tools to save American lives. The nation needs a nationwide public safety broadband wireless network that allows first responders nationwide to communicate with one another at all times and without delay. A three-pronged approach will allow the speedy deployment, operation, and continued evolution of such a network. The three prongs are:
- An administrative system to ensure that public safety users of broadband spectrum have the capacity and service they require for their network; they also should be able to leverage commercial technologies to take advantage of the vast number of applications and devices that are being developed for commercial wireless broadband networks.
- An emergency response interoperability center to ensure that first responders nationwide can communicate with one another via public safety wireless broadband communications.
- A grant program to help fund the construction, operation and evolution of the public safety broadband network to ensure resiliency and ubiquitous coverage.
Improve Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Survivability
Communications providers have encountered frequent attacks on critical Internet and broadband infrastructures. A variety of domestic and foreign actors have demonstrated the ability to steal, alter, or destroy data and to manipulate or control systems designed to ensure the functioning of portions of our critical infrastructure. Additional safeguards may be necessary to protect our nation’s commercial communications infrastructure from cyber attack and ensure it is resilient and reliable. Such safeguards could promote confidence in the safety and reliability of broadband communications and spur adoption. Accordingly, the FCC should create a cybersecurity roadmap, extend data collection efforts to broadband service providers and establish voluntary incentives to improve cybersecurity.
Leveraging Broadband Technologies to Enhance Emergency Communications to and from the Public
The nation’s 9-1-1 emergency call system and the emergency alert systems are critical to ensure that people can reach emergency responders and receive important information concerning emergencies. Accordingly, it is vital that Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911) and Next Generation Emergency Alerting (NG Alerting) technologies are deployed in the near future. Providing sufficient funding to support deployment of NG911 and removing regulatory barriers to its deployment should ensure that NG911 is made available across the country. Further, by exploring how to best enable NG911 and NG Alerting technologies, the FCC can ensure that the benefits of these technologies are available more quickly and efficiently.