FCC Record, Volume 26, No. 7, Pages 4843 to 5761, March 28 - April 08, 2011 Page: 5,633
viii, 4843-5761 p. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Federal Communications Commission
STATEMENT OF
CHAIRMAN JULIUS GENACHOWSKI
Re: Reliability and Continuity of Communications Networks, Including Broadband
Technologies, PS Docket No. 11-60
The recent devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan are a stark reminder of how
heavily we depend on reliable and resilient communications networks, especially during major
emergencies. It is an unfortunate irony that such disasters often provide the best opportunity to
learn about the strengths and weaknesses of communications infrastructure.
The terrible events in Japan are an example of a tragedy of scale in a broadband society.
The Japanese used broadband to mitigate the impact of these natural disasters, and their efforts
offer examples for us.
For example, the Japan Meteorological Agency's earthquake early warning system relied
on broadband to automatically issue alerts via cell phones and TV after the first, less harmful
earthquake shock wave, providing a short window for people to prepare for the more powerful
shock wave that followed.
The broadband-based warning system also caused many energy plants, industrial
facilities, and transportation services to shut down automatically, averting problems at these
locations. High-speed trains automatically came to a safe stop in response to earthquake alerts
transmitted along the rail system.
The United States does not currently have a comparable earthquake warning system. It is
something we should consider, especially for our regions that are most prone to earthquakes.
The events in Japan also demonstrate the importance of reliable and resilient Internet-
based communications, especially mobile services. Residents of Japan with mobile phones, for
example, were able to rely on their battery-powered devices to access web-based disaster
message boards, Twitter, and social networking sites to report on their status and check for
updates regarding family and friends. People reporting into disaster message boards could
choose a pre-set status message or write their own short message, and millions of such messages
were recorded in the days after the earthquake and tsunami.
The continued ability to use wireless devices to access the Internet was in large part due
to the redundancy of Japan's wireless mesh network, which can automatically reroute signals
over alternate paths if one route is destroyed. The reliability of mesh networking is another
lesson we can draw from Japan.
I understand that the Government of Japan and Japanese communications providers have
put considerable thought and planning into disaster contingency plans, including backup power
requirements. We strive to learn more about the specific best practices in Japan, which enabled
an impressive communications recovery in light of widespread devastation. In the United States,5633
FCC 11-55
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
United States. Federal Communications Commission. FCC Record, Volume 26, No. 7, Pages 4843 to 5761, March 28 - April 08, 2011, book, April 2011; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc52169/m1/805/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.