FCC to Get More Backhaul Information in DIRS

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The FCC will make enhancements to its Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) based on lessons learned from last year’s hurricane season. With damage estimates topping $200 billion, it was the most expensive in United States history, according to the Commission. In a new report from the agency’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, the FCC noted that communications recovery was “relatively rapid” for areas hit by Hurricanes Harvey and Nate, but Hurricanes Irma and Maria “largely destroyed” communications infrastructure for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Last December, the bureau sought public input on communications infrastructure resiliency, asking what went well, what didn’t and what can be learned. Government and consumer stakeholders asked the Commission to consider “having on-the-ground capability to validate granular cellular coverage and functionality.” Also suggested, was amending its DIRS to include specific tower outages and services impacted (such as 3G, 4G LTE).

Now, the Commission says broadcasters were slow to provide information to DIRS compared to other communications industries. During Hurricane Maria, the major incumbent local exchange carrier and cable providers in Puerto Rico and the USVI did not provide detailed information in DIRS. The FCC says loss of communications or lack of knowledge about DIRS, or both, may account for these issues. That’s why the bureau will work harder to promote DIRS participations to communications providers and re-tool its data to better reflect a degraded customer experience.  

Wireless providers cooperated with each other during the restoration as part of a Wireless Resiliency Cooperative Framework. CTIA said that helped “wireless providers and their representatives on the ground restore service as quickly as possible.” Verizon said it helped providers adapt to changing circumstances. T-Mobile suggested the FCC adopt a similar approach with backhaul providers to “provide faster and more complete service restoration.”

Based on this feedback, the agency now says it will encourage backhaul providers to take part in the wireless framework so they can establish a way to share restoration information with each other, the FCC, local authorities and power companies.

August 28, 2018