Federal Communications Commission DA 20-420 DA 20-420 Released: April 16, 2020 FCC CHAIRMAN PAI ANNOUNCES NEW CHARGES AND SOLICITS ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS FOR THE DISASTER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY WORKING GROUP OF THE BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY COVID-19 GN Docket No. 17-83 Nominations due: April 27, 2020 Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announces additional charges for the Disaster Response and Recovery Working Group (Working Group) of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC). Specifically, the Working Group will assist the BDAC in documenting the various strategies and solutions that stakeholders are developing and implementing in real time to address the deployment-related challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It will also enable the BDAC to report on best practices and lessons learned from the response to COVID-19 to help with the ongoing response to the pandemic, and to assist stakeholders, including the Commission, in preparing for and responding to any comparable future crises. In order to assist the Working Group with carrying out these new charges, the Commission seeks to add new members to the Working Group and solicits nominations for membership from individuals with expertise on these issues. Current Working Group members will continue and do not need to reapply. Nominations for new membership to the BDAC’s Disaster Response and Recovery Working Group should be submitted to the Commission no later than April 27, 2020. Procedures for submitting nominations are set forth below. The BDAC is organized under, and operates in accordance with, the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2. The BDAC’s mission is to make recommendations to the Commission on how to accelerate the deployment of high-speed Internet access, or “broadband,” which will in turn enhance the Commission’s ability to carry out its statutory responsibility to encourage broadband deployment to all Americans. The first report and recommendations of the current Working Group were presented to and approved by the full BDAC on March 27, 2020. WHO MAY APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP The Commission seeks new applications for BDAC’s Disaster Response and Recovery Working Group from across a broad spectrum of public and private organizations, governmental units, and individuals involved with or interested in disaster response and recovery of broadband networks, including representatives from states and localities, industry, and consumer and community organizations. The Commission is particularly interested in receiving nominations and expressions of interest from individuals and organizations in the following categories that have experience in efforts to improve resiliency of communications infrastructure, emergency management of communications networks, and/or homeland security matters: · Federal, state, local, territorial and Tribal government agencies—which we encourage to nominate, for example, first responders, emergency managers, emergency planners, network managers, and risk management professionals. · Consumer and community organizations with experience in issues concerning threat and vulnerability assessment, risk and emergency management, emergency planning, and network management. · Rural and urban Internet service providers that use licensed or unlicensed spectrum, fiber optics, copper wires, or coaxial cables, or any other means to offer high-speed broadband service—which we encourage to nominate, for example, emergency managers, emergency planners, network managers, and risk management professionals. · Independent network builders and networking equipment installers—which we encourage to nominate, for example, experts in risk mitigation, emergency planning, and emergency management. · Industry trade associations—which we encourage to nominate, for example, individuals with expertise in issues concerning threat and vulnerability assessment, risk and emergency management, emergency planning, and network management. · Qualified representatives of other stakeholders and interested parties with experience on these issues whose participation would further the diversity and balance of this Working Group. Members will be selected to achieve balance in the expertise and viewpoints that are necessary to address effectively the issues to be considered by this Working Group. Members nominated by specific entities or organizations to serve on the Working Group will be appointed as representatives of the entities or organizations that have nominated them. As appropriate, members may also be appointed for their individual expertise as “special Government employees” as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 202(a). Because working group members seeking to serve in their individual capacities as special Government employees due to their individual expertise may not be registered federal lobbyists, any such nominees who are registered federal lobbyists will not be considered for appointment to the Working Group. OBLIGATIONS OF WORKING GROUP MEMBERS Members will serve at the discretion of the Chairman of the Commission. Members must be willing to commit to serving on the Working Group until March 1, 2021, the date that the BDAC’s charter expires. The time commitment for participation in this Working Group will be substantial. However, the meetings will be conducted informally, using suitable technology to facilitate the meetings, subject to oversight by the Designated Federal Officer of the BDAC. APPLICATION PROCEDURE, DEADLINE AND MEMBER APPOINTMENTS All nominations should be received by the Commission as soon as possible, but no later than April 27, 2020. No specific nomination form is required; however, each nomination must include the following information: · Name, title, and organization of the nominee and a description of the organization, sector or other interest the nominee will represent; · Nominee’s mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone number; · A statement summarizing the nominee’s qualifications and reasons why the nominee should be appointed to the Working Group; · A statement, if the nominee will represent a specific organization, describing the organization as well as the benefit of having the organization represented on the Working Group; and · A statement confirming that the nominee, if seeking appointment for the individual’s expertise and not as a representative of an organization or entity, is not a registered federal lobbyist. For applicants seeking to represent an organization or company, the applicant’s nomination to the Working Group must be confirmed by an authorized person (e.g., organization or company official) that such organization or company wants the nominated person to represent it on the Working Group. For example, this confirmation may be in the following format: “I am [insert official’s name], the [insert official’s title] at the [insert name of organization - e.g., company, government entity, trade association, etc.], with responsibilities for [concise description of position]. My organization would like [insert proposed member’s name], who is currently [an employee of/consultant/attorney to the company] to serve as our representative on the Commission’s Disaster Response and Recovery Working Group of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee.” Please note this Public Notice is not intended to be the exclusive method by which the Commission will solicit nominations to identify qualified candidates; however, all candidates for membership on the Working Group will be subject to the same evaluation criteria. All nominations, including the requisite statements listed above, should be submitted by e-mail to BDAC@fcc.gov. ACCESSIBLE FORMATS To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY). For additional information about the BDAC’s Disaster Response and Recovery Working Group, please contact Justin Faulb, the Designated Federal Officer, at 202-418-1589, Justin.Faulb@fcc.gov, Belinda Nixon, Deputy Designated Federal Officer, at 202-418-1382, or Belinda.Nixon@fcc.gov, or Zachary Ross, Deputy Designated Federal Officer, at 202-418-1033, or Zachary.Ross@fcc.gov. 3