Recommendations of the Independent Panel Reviewing the Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Communications Networks

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) directs the Public Safety and Homeland Security (PSHSB) to implement several of the recommendations made by the Independent Panel Reviewing the Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Communications Networks (Katrina Panel). The Commission also adopts rules requiring some communications providers to have emergency/back-up power and to conduct analyses and submit reports on the redundancy and resiliency of their 911 and E911 networks. Finally, the Commission extended limited regulatory relief from Section 272 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, accorded last year by the Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB).