The Federal Communications Commission has announced the creation of a new Disaster Response and Recovery working group on its Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee. Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) Vice President of Telecommunications and Spectrum Policy Dr. Rikin Thakker will serve as a member of the working group.
According to an FCC statement, “The Working Group is charged with recommending measures that can be taken to improve the resiliency of broadband infrastructure before a disaster occurs, as well as actions that can be taken to more quickly restore broadband infrastructure following a disaster. Following what he heard on the ground in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, the Chairman has also charged the working group with developing best practices for coordination among wireless providers, backhaul providers, and power companies during and after a disaster.”
The United States and its territories have faced numerous weather disasters over the past year alone that have ravaged communities and significantly harmed communications infrastructure, leaving thousands without access to lifesaving information. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are still recovering from 2017’s Hurricanes Maria and Irma, and the Commission is weighing the best way to allocate support through its Uniendo a Puerto Rico and Connect USVI Funds to rebuild the territories’ broadband infrastructures. Just weeks ago, Hurricane Michael devastated the Southeast United States, causing $8.1 billion in damage, knocking out broadcast stations, and leaving hundreds of thousands without landline, cellular, home internet, or TV service.
In preparation for Hurricane Florence’s damage to the Carolinas, wireless providers deployed COWs (cells on wheels and wings), COLTs (cells on light trucks), CROWs (cellular repeaters on wheels), and GOATs (generators on a trailer) to repair and restore service in the storm’s wake. In Florence’s case, MMTC and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) successfully worked with local broadcasters to ensure multilingual emergency information would be provided if Spanish-language stations got knocked off the air.
It is clear that with fiercer and more frequent storms seemingly becoming the new norm, our nation needs emergency plans for our communications infrastructure.
“Broadband has become a vital part of the nation’s communications backbone, and as 5G and small cell technology continues to be developed and deployed, it is important to ensure proper planning is in place to respond to disasters that could damage this infrastructure,” stated Dr. Thakker. “The FCC is rising to the challenge, and I am excited to represent MMTC as part of the Commission’s new Disaster Response and Recovery working group.”
Dr. Thakker has served as a member of BDAC representing MMTC since its inception and is a member of the Model Code for Municipalities and Removing State and Local Regulatory Barriers working groups.
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About MMTC: The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) is a non-partisan, national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving equal opportunity in the mass media, telecom and broadband industries, and closing the digital divide. MMTC is generally recognized as the nation’s leading advocate for multicultural advancement in communications.
