WASHINGTON-The independent task force created by the Federal Communications Commission to examine the affects of Hurricane Katrina on communications networks is scheduled to meet for the first time in an all-day session Jan. 30, said the FCC.
The FCC’s Independent Panel Reviewing the Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Communications Networks is chaired by Nancy Victory, former assistant Commerce secretary for communications & information.
The panel expects to complete its work by June.
The Jan. 30 meeting will begin with brief statements from the panel members.
Representing the wireless industry on the panel are Dave Flessas, vice president of network operations for Sprint Network Services, and Jim Jacot, vice president of the network group for Cingular Wireless L.LC. Representing utilities on the panel is Robert Dawson, president and chief executive officer of SouthernLinc Wireless. Unlicensed services will be represented by Michael Anderson, chairman of Part 15.org. The panel also has representatives of public safety, the broadcasting industry, the cable TV industry, the satellite industry, equipment vendors and special-interest groups.
The panel is separate from the Network Reliability & Interoperability Council. NRIC, made up of industry executives, has been meeting for more than a decade to collect data and examine solutions on network outages. Its portfolio of issues has increased and grown more important with the advent of homeland-security issues.
