Government Accountability Office
Science and Tech Spotlight: 5G Wireless
Although 5G is mainly being deployed by industry, governments and other organizations will decide how to use public resources, such as spectrum, and what obligations network operators will have to their users. Among the questions they will face are the following:
Federal agencies must transition telecommunications services to new contracts before their current contracts expire in May 2023 (Government Accountability Office)
Submitted by benton on Wed, 03/04/2020 - 14:08Critical Infrastructure Protection: Additional Actions Needed to Identify Framework Adoption and Resulting Improvements (Government Accountability Office)
Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Wed, 02/26/2020 - 09:45Primer on Deepfakes (Government Accountability Office)
Submitted by benton on Tue, 02/25/2020 - 11:39Federal Rulemaking: Selected Agencies Should Clearly Communicate How They Post Public Comments and Associated Identity Info (Government Accountability Office)
Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Thu, 02/06/2020 - 15:04Emergency Alerting: Agencies Need to Address Pending Applications and Monitor Industry Progress on System Improvements
The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Modernization Act, enacted in 2016, required the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in consultation and coordination with Federal Communications Commission, to enhance and test the capabilities of IPAWS and increase its adoption among state and local public safety agencies. GAO was asked to review the federal response to recent natural disasters. This report examines, among other things: (1) trends in the use of IPAWS and (2) actions that FEMA and FCC have taken to modernize IPAWS and increase its adoption.
DHS Directives Have Strengthened Federal Cybersecurity, but Improvements Are Needed (Government Accountability Office)
Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 13:22Public Safety Broadband Network: Deployment Is Progressing, but FirstNet Could Strengthen Its Oversight
Public-safety officials such as police officers and firefighters rely on communications systems to do their jobs. The Department of Commerce's FirstNet must establish a nationwide public-safety broadband network for use by these officials. In March 2017, FirstNet awarded a 25-year, multibillion-dollar contract to AT&T to deploy, operate, and maintain the network. AT&T must meet milestones specified in the contract, such as for providing network coverage and for the network's adoption.