Preserving Public Safety and Network Reliability in the IP Transition
09:15 AM Russell Senate Office Building 253
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet will hold a hearing on Thursday, June 5 at 9:15 a.m., titled, “Preserving Public Safety and Network Reliability in the IP Transition.” The Subcommittee will examine the public safety implications of the ongoing evolution of the nation’s communications networks and how best to preserve consumer access to those networks and vital life-saving information during and after emergency situations.
Please note the hearing will be webcast live via the Senate Commerce Committee website. Refresh the Commerce Committee homepage 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time to automatically begin streaming the webcast.
Individuals with disabilities who require an auxiliary aid or service, including closed captioning service for the webcast hearing, should contact Stephanie Gamache at 202-224-5511
at least three business days in advance of the hearing date.
*Witnesses listed not necessarily in order of testimony.
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Majority Statement
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Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV
Majority Statement
Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV
Public safety has been a key part of communications policy since the passage of the Communications Act over 80 years ago. And this commitment to public safety and network reliability must remain paramount no matter what makes up the underlying architecture or technology of our communications networks. We know our Nation’s communications are evolving, and I am optimistic about the future, but let me be clear: during this transition, we must make sure that consumer protections are not reduced in any way. Whether young or old, rich or poor, urban or rural, no consumer should be left behind by changing technology.
As the nation moves away from traditional copper-based architectures and circuit-switched technologies, we must understand how new technologies and services will perform in disaster and emergency situations. For public safety, the migration to next generation technologies and protocols brings new communications capabilities, improvements in network redundancy, targeted public safety alerts, and greater monitoring for problems in the network. It is also true that no technology is immune to the impacts of disaster. I saw this firsthand when the derecho wreaked havoc on communications networks in West Virginia two years ago. But given that hundreds of millions of calls are made to 9-1-1 each year, there must be a renewed focus on making sure that communications networks are ready when disaster strikes.
That renewed focus must carry over into the FCC’s thinking about the evolution of our nation’s communications networks. If conducted carefully and transparently, the FCC’s planned IP transition trials will help the nation understand the true impact of the IP transition on public safety and consumers. I support the FCC’s deliberate approach to these trials, and its efforts to make sure that the new networks provide the same level of service and reliability as the old.
Similarly, we cannot forget that state regulators play an important and essential role in overseeing the functioning of communications networks. The Communications Act enshrined a system of dual authority that recognized that state regulators are often “on the ground” and know better than Washington whether communications companies are living up to their commitments to consumers and public safety in their state. I believe this robust regulatory system should be preserved in the transition.
I want to thank Senator Pryor for holding this important and timely hearing, and I look forward to the testimony from our witnesses and to their perspectives on preserving public safety and network reliability with the IP transition.
Testimony
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Ms. Colette D. Honorable
Chairman of the Board and PresidentNational Association of Regulatory Utility CommissionersDownload Testimony (201.35 KB) -
Mr. Jonathan Banks
Senior Vice President, Law and PolicyUSTelecomDownload Testimony (224.58 KB) -
Ms. Jodie Griffin
Senior Staff AttorneyPublic KnowledgeDownload Testimony (227.00 KB) -
Ms. Gigi Smith
PresidentAPCO InternationalDownload Testimony (74.87 KB) -
Mr. Henning Schulzrinne
Chief Technology OfficerFederal Communications CommissionDownload Testimony (432.57 KB)
