The federal body overseeing telecommunications in the United States is calling for a proposed rule that would require submarine cable operators to provide a \u201cdetailed report\u201d on significant network outages.<\/p>\n
Federal Communications Commission chair Tom Wheeler\u2014in announcing the draft rule late last month\u2014cited IT&E\u2019s major network outage crisis in July, which left thousands in the CNMI unable to contact the outside world.<\/p>\n
Right now, other communication providers\u2014including wireline, wireless, and satellite providers\u2014are required to report outages to FCC\u2019s Network Outage Reporting System. But no rule currently exists to compel submarine cable operators to do the same.<\/p>\n
This proposed rule would require submarine cable licensees to report significant outages in \u201cappropriate detail\u201d to the federal commission, Wheeler said.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026Licensees currently only report outages on an ad hoc basis,\u201d Wheeler wrote in his Aug. 27 announcement on the FCC website. \u201c\u2026And the information we receive is too limited to be of use.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) wrote to Wheeler in support of the rule, saying these mandatory service reports could \u201censure reliability and prevent future network interruptions.\u201d<\/p>\n
The administration of Gov. Eloy S. Inos also welcomes the new development. Press secretary Ivan Blanco thanked Sablan for his support and \u201cfollow up\u201d on a push for more federal oversight that was made official in 2014.<\/p>\n
Blanco said yesterday that in May 2014, the administration\u2014through Department of Commerce Secretary Mark O. Rabauliman\u2014brought to the attention of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, \u201cthe fragile status of the CNMI\u2019s only undersea cable and the need for oversight and additional competition.\u201d<\/p>\n
Commerce\u2019s \u201cBroadband\u201d report was provided to the FCC, the NTIA, the Commonwealth Public Utilities Commission, Sablan\u2019s office, and other local leadership agencies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe administration not only supports the FCC initiative, it welcomes it,\u201d Blanco told Saipan Tribune. \u201cThe administration encourages a more active role by the FCC for the regulation and administration of undersea cable to ensure that the CNMI\u2019s broadband is accessible, affordable, and available to every student, every business, and every anchor institution.\u201d<\/p>\n
The FCC will meet this Sep. 17 to consider the draft rule.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s unclear right now if the proposed rule\u2014if issued and eventually made final\u2014would apply retroactively to IT&E, or PTI, the owner of the telecommunications firm, and compel a report on the cable break in July.<\/p>\n
An email asking Wheeler this question was not immediately responded to as of press time yesterday.<\/p>\n
If the \u201cNotice of Proposed Rulemaking,\u201d or NPRM is used, there is usually a two- to three-month period allowed for public comment.<\/p>\n
An IT&E official said yesterday they did contact FCC on the outage last July.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though we are not required, IT&E did notify the FCC of the outage one day after the outage,\u201d Rob Harrell, IT&E\u2019s customer operations executive director, said.<\/p>\n
The recent development of the proposed rules appears to stem from a call for federal oversight to protect Internet security around the world.<\/p>\n
IT&E officials have called the cable cut an \u201can act of God\u201d brought about by harsh weather from passing typhoons.<\/p>\n
\u201cImagine a community with tens of thousands of residents suffering a communications blackout for more than 48 hours,\u201d wrote Wheeler in his Aug. 27 announcement.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot only were residents unable to send emails or make phone calls, their banking system shut down, leaving people unable to make credit card transactions or withdraw money from an ATM.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not hypothetical,\u201d Wheeler went on to write. \u201cIt happened last [July] in the Northern Marianas Islands, a U.S. territory in the Western Pacific Ocean. The cause: a break in an undersea cable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noting that undersea cables carry more than 95 percent of all U.S. international voice, data, and Internet traffic, Wheeler said the proposal he is circulating within the FCC is one that would enhance the security and reliability of this \u201ckey piece\u201d to the Internet\u2019s physical infrastructure.<\/p>\n
In his letter on Wednesday, Sablan said he supports the consideration of the draft FCC rule. He said the recent communications blackout in the NMI \u201cheightened the awareness of the vulnerability of our communications systems\u201d and a \u201cneed to make it more secure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sablan also announced the development in his weekly newsletter, stating again his support for Wheeler\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
Both Wheeler and Sablan did not cite the name of the undersea cable company, or IT&E, in their announcements.<\/p>\n
The FCC\u2019s open meeting is scheduled on Sep. 17 from 10:30am to 12:30pm Eastern Daylight Time.<\/p>\n
Blanco said they support FCC\u2019s call for submarine network outages that come \u201cwith enough detail to understand the nature and impact of any damage and disruption to communications, help mitigate any impact on emergency services and consumers, and assist in service restoration.\u201d<\/p>\n
The proposed rule is scheduled under \u201cSubmarine Cable Reliability\u201d as one of two items scheduled for the open meeting.<\/p>\n
The FCC schedule states that the commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes \u201cto require submarine cable licensees to report outages.\u201d<\/p>\n
IT&E\u2019s fiber optic cable break last July 8 halted business transactions and forced airlines to cancel flights, among other direct and indirect effects. The company slowly brought interim service back through their backup microwave system, which was said to have been damaged by passing typhoons. IT&E, which expedited the arrival of a repair ship from Taiwan, completed the repair to the cable repair by July 28, bringing back normal Internet speeds to residents on Saipan.<\/p>\n
IT&E has estimated the overall break repairs at about $2 million. Official business losses from the CNMI government have not been released yet, though unofficial reports cite business losses of around $21 million.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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