Federal Communications Commission DA 26-105 DA 26-105 Released: January 31, 2026 FCC DEACTIVATES THE DISASTER INFORMATION REPORTING SYSTEM AND THE MANDATORY DISASTER RESPONSE INTIATIVE FOR COMMUNICATIONS IMPACTS FROM WINTER STORM FERNAND ANNOUNCES DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF AFTER-ACTION REPORTS On January 23, 2026, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB), in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), announced the activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) and the Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative (MDRI) in certain counties in states impacted by Winter Storm Fern. The Federal Communications Commission Activates the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) and the Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative (MDRI) In Response To Winter Storm Fern, Public Notice, DA 26-77 (PSHSB Jan. 23, 2026). Subsequently, at the request of relevant state emergency management agencies, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) amended the area of the DIRS and MDRI activation. See FCC Deactivates the Disaster Information Reporting System and the Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative in Mississippi For Communications Impacts From Winter Storm Fern, Public Notice, DA 26-103 (PSHSB Jan. 30, 2026); FCC Amends the Activation Area of the Disaster Information Reporting System and the Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative in Mississippi and Tennessee for Communications Impacts From Winter Storm Fern, Public Notice, DA 26-92 (PSHSB Jan. 28, 2026); FCC Deactivates the Disaster Information Reporting System and the Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative in Certain States for Communications Impacted by Winter Storm Fern, Public Notice, DA 26-91 (PSHSB Jan. 27, 2026); The Federal Communications Commission Deactivates the Disaster Information Reporting System and the Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative in Several States for Communications Impacted by Winter Storm Fern, Public Notice, DA 26-87 (PSHSB Jan. 26, 2026); The Federal Communications Commission Modifies the Activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System and the Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative For Communications Impacted by Winter Storm Fern, Public Notice, DA 26-84 (PSHSB Jan. 25, 2026); The Federal Communications Commission Announces the Expansion of the Disaster Information Reporting System and the Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative For Communications Impacted By Winter Storm Fern, Public Notice, DA 26-83 (PSHSB Jan. 24, 2026). With this Public Notice, at the request of the State of Tennessee and in coordination with FEMA, the Commission deactivates the DIRS and the MDRI in the following counties in Tennessee: Tennessee:  Benton, Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Davidson, Decatur, Dickson, Giles, Hardeman, Hardin, Henderson, Hickman, Lawrence, Macon, Marshall, Maury, McNairy, Montgomery, Overton, Perry, Robertson, Rutherford, Shelby, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Wayne, Williamson, and Wilson Cable communications providers, wireless service providers, wireline communications providers, and interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers that provide service in the above-referenced areas are no longer required to report their infrastructure status daily in DIRS for this event. See 47 CFR § 4.18(a)(1). These providers must provide a single, final report to the Commission within 24 hours of release of this Public Notice detailing the state of their infrastructure at the time of DIRS deactivation and an estimated date of resolution of any remaining outages. 47 CFR § 4.18(a)(2). PSHSB encourages other communications providers that voluntarily reported in DIRS to also submit a final DIRS report. As of the release of this Public Notice, cable communications providers, wireless service providers, wireline communications providers, and interconnected VoIP providers that provide service in the above-referenced areas must resume making submissions in the Network Outage Reporting System concerning any incidents that are reportable under those rules. See 47 CFR § 4.18(b). DEACTIVATION OF MDRI IN REMAINING COUNTIES IN TENNESSEE The MDRI is also hereby deactivated in the following counties in Tennessee: Tennessee:  Benton, Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Davidson, Decatur, Dickson, Giles, Hardeman, Hardin, Henderson, Hickman, Lawrence, Macon, Marshall, Maury, McNairy, Montgomery, Overton, Perry, Robertson, Rutherford, Shelby, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Wayne, Williamson, and Wilson MDRI AFTER-ACTION REPORTS FOR MISSISSIPPI AND TENNESSEE The Commission hereby requires facilities-based mobile wireless providers operating in the following Mississippi and Tennessee counties to submit a report to the Commission detailing the timing, duration, and effectiveness of their implementation of the MDRI’s provisions within 60 days of the issuance of this Public Notice (i.e., by April 1, 2026). See 47 CFR § 4.17(c). Reports must be submitted via email to MDRI@fcc.gov. Mississippi: Adams, Alcorn, Amite, Attala, Benton, Bolivar, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Claiborne, Clarke, Clay, Coahoma, Copiah, Covington, DeSoto, Franklin, Grenada, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Itawamba, Issaquena, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper, Lafayette, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lee, Leflore, Lincoln, Lowndes, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Montgomery, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Panola, Pike, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Quitman, Rankin, Scott, Sharkey, Simpson, Smith, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tishomingo, Tippah, Tunica, Union, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Winston, Yalobusha, and Yazoo Tennessee: Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Blount, Cannon, Carroll, Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Coffee, Crockett, Cumberland, Davidson, Decatur, Dekalb, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Franklin, Gibson, Giles, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardeman, Hardin, Hawkins, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Lake, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Maury, McNairy, Montgomery, Moore, Obion, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Sequatchie, Sevier, Shelby, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Tipton, Trousdale, Van Buren, Warren, Wayne, Williamson, Weakley, White, and Wilson PSHSB published its final daily communications status report for Winter Storm Fern on January 31, 2026. For more information on the FCC’s response to Winter Storm Fern, please visit https://www.fcc.gov/fern. - FCC - 2