CTIA and EEI Collaborate for Enhanced Emergency Preparedness
The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) has teamed up with the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) to promote better emergency preparedness coordination across the wireless and electric utility industries. This is critical, and I LOVE that both sectors will be increasing their collaboration going forward.
How the CTIA and EEI are Working Together
The two industry associations have formed the “Cross-Sector Resiliency Forum” which has the objective of bringing members of both associations together so they can formulate better ways to coordinate with each other during emergency situations. More specifically, the participating companies will jointly work on plans and protocols designed to improve information sharing during emergencies (including a wireless outage), hold joint emergency exercises and drills, and develop emergency plans that enhance cooperation during emergency situations.
The current plan is for the member organizations to get together twice a year to identify best practices and opportunities for continual improvement. Additionally, local, state and federal government officials will be on hand during these sessions to ensure the most holistic view possible.
The impetus for this collaboration was a mandate by the FCC after the recent disasters in Puerto Rico (hurricanes) and California (forest fires), among others. In these situations, communications grinded to a screeching halt, which made utility restoration efforts exponentially more difficult.
The bottom line is that this collaboration makes total sense. Both industries are thoroughly intertwined during emergencies. Electric utilities depend on wireless networks for restoration communications, and customers of both types of companies are highly dependent on wireless communications when the lights go out. Said another way, during a disaster scenario, electric utilities rely on wireless carriers to communicate, and wireless carriers rely on electric utilities to power communication technologies. This symbiotic relationship is why the collaboration between the CTIA and EEI probably should have started years ago.
But hey, better late than never! Hopefully this CTIA / EEI partnership will last for years or even decades, and will not simply be some flavor of the month type of initiative. It is incredibly important for organizations in both industries to figure out better ways to work together when disaster strikes, and I truly hope that the CTIA / EEI collaboration makes huge strides in this area. Time will tell!
