The FCC’s Network Reliability and Interoperability Council (NRIC) VI adopted a final set of industry “best practices” during the sixth and final meeting of its two year charter. The latest NRIC was chartered following the events of September 11, 2001 to focus on telecommunications security in the event of another terrorist attack or national disaster. NRIC VI’s accomplishments include:
- Adopting more than 300 best practices to protect the nation’s communications against attack. In addition, the Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Focus Group presented 70 best practices the industry should consider to help sustain critical business activities in a crisis. Also, the Cyber Security Focus Group identified over 200 best practices the communications industry should consider to restore service in a timely and secure manner.
- Adopting a Mutual Aid Agreement which provides the means by which industry carriers and service providers can elect to enter agreements to collaborate to restore service in the wake of an emergency.
- Adopting industry emergency contact procedures and protocol to provide detailed contact information, procedures and protocol to members in times of emergency and to identify communications industry representatives who are essential to effective communications and Internet service restoration efforts.
The FCC plans to recharter NRIC with new priority initiatives sometime in early 2004.
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- In July 2003, the FCC established an Office of Homeland Security within its Enforcement Bureau to focus on the nation’s emergency preparedness issues. The Office of Homeland Security will also be responsible for rules relating to the Emergency Alert System and will oversee operation of the FCC’s 24-hour Communications and Crisis Management Center and its Emergency Operations Center, functions that were previously handled in the Enforcement Bureau’s Technical and Public Safety Division. The new Office will also promote the “best practices” recommendations adopted by the Network Reliability and Interoperability Council (NRIC).
