Pandemic Plan in Place if Necessary, FCC Says Amid Coronavirus
The FCC has a plan for dealing with a pandemic if necessary, said Chairman Ajit Pai and others answering our queries during news conferences Friday. So far, the main coronavirus effect on the regulator has been cancelation of an annual wireless conference, members told us. Commissioner Geoffrey Starks worries about impacts on 911 systems and about getting more people connected to residential broadband.
"Current global circumstances suggest it is likely that this virus will cause a pandemic," says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The FCC does "take this very seriously," Pai said after the commissioners' monthly meeting. "It has already affected the travel plans of many at the commission." The agency is examining its pandemic plan, and is prepared to implement it if necessary, he added.
"The pandemic plan is being updated currently," a commission spokesperson emailed us later. "It will not be a public facing document." It's described as an internal document.
Pai and others noted the virus caused MWC 2020 to be canceled earlier this month (see 2002120056). The show in Barcelona was to have ended Thursday, and GSMA told us it will go on next year. "We had over 2000 exhibitors remaining, and we could have proceeded with a very good event, but the health and safety of exhibitors came first." In 2021, the annual conference is scheduled for March 1-4, the organizer's representative said last week.
At the FCC, "none of us went to Barcelona," said Commissioner Mike O'Rielly. "That was disappointing. That’s one of my favorite shows of the year." He hopes the virus won't "cause any disruption going forward." He's "mindful of it both as a government official and as a parent, and I am just keeping up to speed on it as much as I can." The spread of the illness and its impact hasn’t affected his work at all, said Commissioner Brendan Carr. "We at the FCC stand ready to respond." The agency would "do our part to make sure we have an appropriate and effective response," Carr added. Other conferences have been postponed or otherwise changed (see 2002280068).
Starks, who also canceled his MWC 2020 plans, noted the coronavirus may have implications for emergency and residential communications. "Part of getting broadband" to be "more ubiquitous plays into this," he said in answer to our question. Kids may be staying at home, and people may work from there, he noted. "There is a broadband access element."
Many people might call 911 given the virus, and that could cause issues, the Democratic commissioner said. "We need to convene our 911 community and dispatchers" and public safety answering points "to make sure that we have a full understanding of how we can approach keeping people safe, keeping people secure, keeping people healthy." Starks said he "would be eager to work with the chairman on it."
National Emergency Number Association CEO Brian Fontes noted that 911 will get "many questions about the coronavirus outbreak, and we are doing our part to be prepared." PSAPs are monitoring National Highway Traffic Safety Administration information, since NHTSA is responsible for emergency medical services response, he said in a statement. That agency's EMS Office, the CDC and Health and Human Services assistant secretary-preparedness and response held a webinar this past week, he noted. PSAPs should "check with their local emergency medical authorities" and others for updates to protocols, the NENA chief said. "We’re ready to help" with any such Starks plan, Fontes said.
APCO didn't comment. Due to a schedule conflict, Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel didn't attend the news conference with Starks, as is typical. Her office didn't comment.