Federal Communications Commission	DA 19-410


DA 19-410
Released:  May 13, 2019

WEBINAR FOR SMALL AND RURAL COMMUNICATIONS PROVIDERS ON NETWORK RESILIENCY ON JUNE 17, 2019
	By this Public Notice, the Federal Communications Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, in coordination with the Office of Communications Business Opportunities (OCBO) and the Wireline Competition Bureau, announces an upcoming webinar to discuss available resources and best practices for small and rural communications providers regarding network reliability and security.  The free webinar will be held from 11:00 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Monday, June 17, 2019.
	This webinar will focus on issues relevant to small and rural providers offering wireline, interconnected VoIP, cable, satellite, and wireless services.  Topics will include:
· A review of updates to the small business cybersecurity planner, an online resource to help small businesses create customized cybersecurity plans maintained by OCBO on the FCC’s website.

· Best practices that small businesses may implement to protect their communications networks to ensure reliability, resiliency, and security. 

· Recommendations from the Final Report of the Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council VI (CSRIC) CSRIC is an advisory committee of the Federal Communications Commission, the mission of which is to make recommendations to the Commission to promote the security, reliability, and resiliency of the Nation’s communications systems.  FCC, Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council, https://www.fcc.gov/about-fcc/advisory-committees/communications-security-reliability-and-interoperability-council-0 (last visited May 8, 2019).
 on how small and rural carriers can transition to Next Generation 911 while minimizing risks of the transition, such as preventative measures to avoid service outages. See Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council VI, Working Group 1, Transition Path to NG9-1-1, Final Report - Small Carrier NG9-1-1 Transition Considerations (2018), https://www.fcc.gov/files/csric6wg1sept18ng911reportdocx. https://www.fcc.gov/about-fcc/advisory-committees/communications-security-reliability-and-interoperability-council-0.


· Recent updates to the FCC’s Network Outage Reporting System (NORS) for reporting of communications service disruptions, and to the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) for reporting of communications infrastructure status

and situational awareness information during times of crisis, as they relate to small and rural providers.

· A review of updates to the Network Reliability Steering Committee (NRSC) Emergency Preparedness Checklist, which provides general guidance on how to prepare for, and respond to, a wide array of emergency situations.

· The importance of identifying and eliminating potential security vulnerabilities in communications networks and their supply chains, and an overview of the FCC’s proposal to protect Universal Service Funds from being spent on equipment or services from suppliers that raise national security concerns. Protecting Against National Security Threats to the Communications Supply Chain Through FCC Programs, WC Docket No. 18-89, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 33 FCC Rcd 4058 (2018).

	The webinar will be streamed live with open captioning over the Internet.  The web address, login, and dial-in information can be found on the “Small and Rural Provider Network Resiliency Webinar” events page:  https://www.fcc.gov/small-rural-communications-provider-network-resiliency-webinar.  On the event information page, click on the registration link, provide the required information, and then click on “Submit” to complete your registration.  Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions for joining the event, the password, and the link for the meeting.  During the event, those watching the live video stream may email questions to networkresiliencywebinar@fcc.gov.  After the event, a recording of the webinar will be available for streaming from the event page.  The email address networkresiliencywebinar@fcc.gov will remain available for questions.
	Open captioning will be provided for this event.  Other reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request.  Send an email to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice) or 202-418-0432 (TTY).  Please include a description of the accommodation you will need and tell us how to contact you.  Requests for special accommodation should be made as early as possible.  Last minute requests will be accepted but may be impossible to fill.
	For additional information about the webinar, please contact Guy Benson at guy.benson@fcc.gov or (202) 418-2946.
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