National Broadband Plan Workshop on Public Safety and Homeland Security (see summary)

National Broadband Plan Workshop on Public Safety and Homeland Security

See a summary of this workshop

Watch a webcast of the event

Federal Communications Commission
Room TW-C305 (Commission Meeting Room)
445 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554
August 25, 2009
9:30am-12:00pm

Contact:
Jennifer Manner
Jennifer.Manner@fcc.gov
(202) 418-3619
http://broadband.gov/ws_pshs.html

The goal of this workshop is to examine existing and potential uses of broadband technology by public safety entities and ways in which broadband technology can enhance homeland security. The workshop will bring together representatives from the public safety community, government agencies, industry, and academia to discuss interoperability, redundancy, cyber security, 911, and pandemic response, among other issues. The first panel will focus on use of broadband applications by first responders to communicate emergency information and to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. This panel will also explore issues relating to interoperability, redundancy, and the cost of providing broadband access to public safety. The second panel will focus on the impact of broadband technology on particular homeland security issues, such as cyber security, pandemics, bioterrorism, and critical infrastructure vulnerabilities. The panel will also examine current and future public safety use of managed IP-networks.

FCC Participants:

  • James A. Barnett, Jr., Rear Admiral (Ret.), Chief, Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB)
  • Jeff Cohen, Senior Legal Advisor, PSHSB
  • Jeffery Goldthorp, Chief, Communications Systems Analysis Division, PSHSB
  • Carlos Kirjner, Ph.D., Senior Advisor, Office of Chairman Genachowski
  • William Lane, Ph.D., Chief Engineer, PSHSB
  • John Leibovitz, Deputy Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB)
  • Jennifer A. Manner, Deputy Chief, PSHSB (see prepared presentation)
  • Kathyrn Medley, Chief, Satellite Engineering Branch & Acting Chief, Systems Analysis Branch, International Bureau
  • Erika Olsen, Special Counsel, PSHSB
  • Jon Peha, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer

Additional Government Participants:

  • Laurie Flaherty, Program Analyst, Office of Emergency Medical Services, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
  • Charles Hoffman, Chief, Disaster Emergency Communications Programs, Disaster Emergency Communications Division, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
  • Daniel Phythyon, Chief, Policy, Planning & Analysis Division, Office of Emergency Communications, Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Panel 1: First Responders Using Broadband Technologies to Advance Public Safety

  • Charles Brennan, Deputy Secretary, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Office of Public Safety Radio Service (OPSR) (see prepared presentation)
  • Stephen Carter, Vice President of Technology, Qualcomm (see prepared presentation)
  • Pete Eggimann, Chair, Operations Committee, National emergency Number Association (NENA); Director, 9-1-1 Services Metropolitan Emergency Services Board, St. Paul, MN; NG 9-1-1 Trial Participant (see prepared presenation)
  • Ralph Haller, Chair, National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) (see prepared presentation)
  • Glenn Katz, President & Chief Operating Officer, Spacenet, Inc. (see prepared presenaation)
  • Harlin McEwen, Chair, Public Safety Spectrum Trust (see prepared presenation)
  • Bill Schrier, Chief Technology Officer & Director for Information Technology, City of Seattle; representing the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO) (see prepared presentation)

Panel 2: Homeland Security: Uses, Benefits and Challenges of Broadband Technologies Large Scale Events

  • Andrew Afflerbach, Ph.D.; P.E., Chief Executive Officer & Director of Engineering, Columbia Telecommunications Corporation; representing National Association of Telecommunications Officers & Advisors (NATOA) (see prepared presentation, Case study and CTC report)
  • Emmanuel Hooper, Ph.D., Senior Scholar & Researcher, Harvard University, Leadership for Networked World; Harvard-MIT-Yale Cyber Scholar; Founder, Global Information Intelligence (see prepared presentation and research)
  • Murad Raheem, Branch Chief, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness & Response; Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (see prepared presentation)
  • Marcus Sachs, Executive Director, National Security & Cyber Policy, Office of Federal Government Relations, Verizon Government Affairs (see prepared presentation)
  • Steve Souder, Director, Fairfax (Virginia) Department of Public Safety Communication

The following are some of the preliminary topics that will be covered at this workshop. The FCC is inviting suggestions.

  • Interoperability
  • Public safety use of high-speed connectivity, the Internet and associated applications
  • Redundancy
  • Cost-efficiencies and practical issues
  • Cyber security and critical infrastructure
  • Pandemic/bioterrorism events
  • Coordination with other federal agencies and state and local governments
  • Pre-planning/Reliability

A look at what some are already telling the FCC...

Yaana Technologies
The same challenges are faced by every other nation; and multiple intergovernmental and international cooperative venues exist for collectively dealing with cybersecurity. In addition, treaty instruments of which the U.S. is signatory, such as the ITU Constitution, the International Telecommunication Regulations, the Radio Regulations, and Convention on Cybercrime, additionally impose obligations and provide bases for cooperation. Broadband cybersecurity is also not an area where the U.S. can "go it alone." Common cooperative global cybersecurity and related identity management capabilities are essential. The Commission and its counterparts worldwide need to bring about the infrastructure-based, operational, and legal capabilities

New EA, Inc. DBA Flow Mobile
We recommend that the Commission initiate a new auction for the D-Block Public Safety Network as soon as possible. Specifically, we recommend that the Commission require aggressive build out on all licenses, promote dual use, ensure technological neutrality, give bidding credits, and adopt combinatorial bidding a part of this proceeding. Creating a Nationwide Interoperable Public Safety Network must be at the forefront of any National Broadband Plan.

MSS/ATC Coalition
To allow Mobile Satellite Services/ Ancillary Terrestrial Component networks to achieve their potential, the Coalition (The Boeing Company, Globalstar, Inc., DBSD North America, Inc., Inmarsat Inc., SkyTerra Communications and TerreStar Networks Inc) respectfully requests that the FCC, in developing its national broadband plan acknowledge the power of satellite systems for public safety and commercial broadband applications and recommend adoption of policies that promote widespread deployment of MSS/ATC networks and user devices.

Jon Melvin
The adoption of broadband connectivity by public safety agencies will likely be based on what is financially viable in any particular situation and geographical area. Total cost of service weighed against improved capabilities and efficiencies will dictate the rate of adoption of broad band technologies. With this in mind, the cost of service to Public Safety must be kept low enough that agencies can afford to implement technologies that are based on broadband connectivity. This includes both initial cost and reoccurring costs.

INTRADO
First and foremost, such a plan can only be developed after the adoption of a "total service" definition of broadband that necessarily includes public safety. Second, there must be a coordinated federal forum to address the myriad and complex public safety issues—federal leadership to coalesce the knowledge, information, and concerns related to a plan for deployment of nationwide next generation 911. To discharge its obligations under the ARRA with respect to a public safety plan, the Commission should adopt the "total service" definition of broadband and it or another federal agency must take steps—through a consolidated proceeding or a dedicated forum—to develop a framework for a nationwide next generation 911 system, identifying what functionality a system should include; critical features associated with the system, such as location accuracy; system security and redundancy; overarching governance through cooperative federal and state regulation; and effective funding models.

Federal Bureau of Investigation
In setting forth a comprehensive plan for advancing the build-out and utilization of a national broadband infrastructure, the FBI requests that the Commission give strong consideration to the
Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Ace ("CALEA.") and the importance of ensuring that existing and new providers of facilities-based broadband services are capable of assisting law enforcement with lawfully authorized electronic surveillance. The FBI also requests that the Commission coordinate with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration ("NTIA") and the Rural Utilities Service ("RUS") to ensure that applicants for funding for the provision of broadband services under the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program ("BTOP") and the RUS's grant and loan programs are aware of their CALEA obligations. Given the requirement that providers of facilities-based broadband services implement lawfully authorized electronic surveillance capabilities, the Commission should integrate CALEA into the national broadband plan.

... and may we suggest
Public Safety and Homeland Security from Benton's Action Plan for America


© 1994-2024 Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. All Rights Reserved.