Sec. 4. Keeping advanced communications service operational
413 words·~2 min read·
/bill/116/hr/5926/ih/section-4A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall adopt, after public notice and an opportunity for comment, a set of recommended best practices on how providers of advanced communications service and utilities should coordinate in order to ensure that advanced communications service remains operational during times of emergency and pre-planned power downs. Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy and Secretary of Homeland Security, shall— establish a process by which providers of advanced communications service and utilities share information regarding what infrastructure, used in the provision of advanced communications service, should be prioritized for reenergization to best restore critical parts of such providers’ networks necessary for emergency response and restoration efforts, in a manner that promotes the most efficient and effective use of resources during times of emergency and pre-planned power downs; ensure that providers of advanced communications service take reasonable and technically feasible measures to integrate backup power, including generators and batteries, into such providers’ networks to continue the provision of advanced communications service during and following times of emergency and during pre-planned power downs with particular focus on consumers’ ability to send and receive emergency communications; take all necessary, reasonable measures to ensure appropriate coordination including at incident command centers established during times of emergency between utilities, covered public safety entities, providers of advanced communications service, and, where appropriate, Federal, State, and local representatives, to ensure such utilities, entities, and providers— are aware of where infrastructure used in the provision of advanced communications service is located to avoid inadvertently damaging such infrastructure and thereby delaying restoration of advanced communications service during and following times of emergency and pre-planned power downs; communicate with each other on a regular and ongoing basis regarding the progress of network restoration during and following times of emergency and pre-planned power downs; and are aware of their respective restoration plans, priorities, and critical sites in advance of any emergency, as well as during and following times of emergency and pre-planned power downs; and ensure any and all information exchanged pursuant to this section will be subject to reasonable confidentiality protections, accessed only by authorized users responsible for coordination required by this section, and used exclusively for the purpose of ensuring advanced communications service remains operational during and following times of emergency and pre-planned power downs.