WCA Launches Physically Diverse Networks Forum
The Wireless Communications Association launched a physically diverse networks forum, which will examine wireless’ role as government agencies and companies seek ways to make networks more redundant. The announcement of the forum Tuesday came as federal agencies begin to come into compliance with the fiscal year 2005 omnibus appropriations act, which required that all government-owned and leased buildings have redundant, reliable telecommunications networks.
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Joseph Sandri, senior vice president of FiberTower and co-chairman of the forum, said government agencies have to follow a network diversity mandate but companies don’t. Many haven’t made investments in network diversity, he said. “The private sector is a few steps behind, in terms of awareness, what really is required to put up a physically diverse network,” Sandri told us. “What is the jeopardy if you don’t put it up? What’s going to happen to your insurance? Will you have insurance coverage? Will you get your insurance premiums reduced if you do comply?”
Network redundancy allows company and agency officials to communicate with each other during disasters, which is critical, said John Copenhaver, a consultant and former FEMA regional office chief. “Network disruptions… disrupt good plans and make good players frustrated guesstimators,” he said. “You have to guess at what happened, where it happened, how bad it is or was or is going to get. How long is this going to last.” When internal communications break down, the result can be a public relations nightmare, Copenhaver said. “When you have a senior official in front of a camera who looks foolish representing a corporation or representing an agency you have a problem,” he said. “You have a serious problem.”
Royce Kinkaid, vice president at AnviCom Command Federal, said companies are making progress taking account of lessons of the Sept. 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina. “People do understand the importance of redundancy, backhaul, power, communications. The evidence is clear we need to solve this problem and it’s solvable. All the technology exists to do it.”
Copenhaver, who was a top official at FEMA during the Clinton Administration, said he helped restore communications networks in lower Manhattan after the Sept. 11 attacks. Companies and the government had to make progress, he said. “Of those people who were in New York City shortly after Sept. 11, I would be interested if there is anyone who had free and unimpeded cellphone service,” he said. “I couldn’t find it. I tried a number of different networks. I tried a number of different cellphones. It just wasn’t to be had or if it was to be had it was for very short periods of time and you had to be lucky.” He said the FEMA regional office in New York City had one satellite phone that they used for all communications into and out of that office. “They relied on that one link and it was absolutely full to capacity,” he said.