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This bill seeks to improve the resiliency of telecommunications systems in the aftermath of emergencies and natural disasters. It would apply to emergencies where federal assistance is provided by a presidential declaration or if the governor of a U.S. state or territory.

This legislation would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to begin proceedings about mobile service providers’ roaming agreements in order to:

Allow for mobile service at reasonable rates during emergencies when there is a service outage lasting over 24 hours;
Provide for roaming agreements at no charge for communications during emergencies that are to or from 911 services.

The FCC would be required to create a master point of contact directory to improve communications between public safety answering points and telecommunications service providers.

The definition of “essential service provider” would be broadened to include all communications service providers, so that they can access a disaster site to repair and restore services following an emergency without being blocked by a federal agency. That would include providers or services related to wireline and mobile telephone, internet, radio and TV broadcasting, cable, and direct broadcast satellite services.

","official_title":"To direct the Federal Communications Commission to conduct a study on network resiliency during times of emergency, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act\n\n(Sec. 2) This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to submit to Congress and publish on the FCC website a study on the public safety benefits, technical feasibility, and cost of providing the public with access to 9-1-1 services during times of emergency when mobile service is unavailable, through:\n\n telecommunications service provider-owned WiFi access points and other communications technologies operating on unlicensed spectrum, without requiring any login credentials; non-telecommunications service provider-owned WiFi access points; and other alternative means. The types of emergencies subject to this bill are: (1) occasions or instances under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act for which the President determines that federal assistance is needed to supplement state and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or ave...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"People who need to use their cell phones during an emergency that otherwise might not have service; FEMA; and the FCC.","argument_for":"Americans need to be able to rely on their communications systems after a disaster strikes. This bill would ensure that people can use their cell phones and other devices at reasonable rates while also making it easier for communication infrastructure to be repaired.","argument_against":"There’s no guarantee that this bill’s provisions would ensure that communications systems are up and running after any given disaster, regardless of the severity. 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Ensuring Affordable Access to Telecommunication Networks After Disasters