Today:  US Senate Broadband Bill, GAO Report on Emergency Communications 

US Senate Broadband Bill

U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Steve Daines (R- Mont.) introduced the bipartisan Reprioritizing Unserved Rural Areas and Locations for Broadband (RURAL Broadband) Act of 2018, which will prioritize federal funds that are used to provide broadband access to areas that are unserved with no access, before they are used to upgrade areas with existing service. Their bill is a significant step toward prioritizing unserved rural areas in Vermont and other states.  Leahy said: "Closing the digital divide in rural America is a national priority, and national investments are vital in getting this done. This bill will help make sure that these funds are used effectively while also ensuring that rural consumers are not stuck without service when providers fail to meet their obligations.”  Daines said: “We must work to close the rural-digital divide so our rural communities can be part of the 21st Century economy. Our bill ensures that these critical funds be used for the communities who need them most.”  The text is available here.

GAO Report on Emergency Communications

A new report by the Government Accounting Office (GAO) recommends more regional collaboration on emergency communications issue.  Specifically, it recommends that the Administrator of FEMA work with regional emergency communications coordination working group members to reach consensus on and implement an ongoing mechanism to encourage nationwide collaboration across these groups, considering the costs of one or more suitable methods, such as a national-level working group that uses virtual or other means of coordination, as appropriate.

The report was issued because GAO was asked to review implementation of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 provisions related to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The report examines: (1) challenges related to emergency communications that selected stakeholders have experienced; (2) their views on the Department of Homeland Security's emergency communications assistance; and (3) the regional working groups established by the Post-Katrina Act and their effect on emergency communications capabilities. GAO reviewed DHS's reports and grant data for fiscal years 2011–2016 and conducted case studies of three cities—Houston, Los Angeles, and Boston—selected based on the number of declared disasters, DHS grant funding, and geographic diversity. GAO interviewed DHS officials; leaders of all 10 regional working groups and other stakeholders, including public safety officials in the case study cities; and others chosen for their expertise. 

While emergency communications challenges persist, stakeholders told GAO that DHS's technical assistance generally meets their needs and that FEMA grants have helped them enhance emergency communications capabilities.  However, most regional group leaders told GAO that more collaboration across the groups was needed.

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s daily blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.