Communications Status Report for Areas Impacted by Kentucky Tornadoes December 15, 2021 At the request of the Kentucky Statewide Interoperability Coordinator, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in coordination with Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has activated the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) for certain counties in Kentucky in response to the December 11, 2021 tornadoes. The following is a report on the status of communications services in geographic areas in Kentucky impacted by the December 11, 2021 tornadoes as of December 15, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. EDT. This report incorporates network outage data submitted by communications providers to the FCC’s DIRS. Note that the operational status of communications services during a disaster may evolve rapidly, and this report represents a snapshot in time. This report also summarizes certain regulatory actions taken by the FCC to assist areas impacted by the tornadoes in Kentucky. The following counties are in the current geographic area that is part of DIRS (the “disaster area”) for today’s report. Kentucky: Breckinridge, Bullitt, Caldwell, Fulton, Graves, Grayson, Hickman, Hopkins, Lyon, Marshall, Meade, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Shelby, Spencer, Taylor, Warren 911 Services 1 The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) learns the status of each Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) through the filings of 911 Service Providers in DIRS, reporting to the FCC’s Public Safety Support Center, coordination with state 911 Administrators and, if necessary, direct contact with individual PSAPs. No PSAPs are reported as being affected. Wireless Services The current status of wireless communications services is shown by the following chart and map. 2 The following table provides cell sites out of service by county. 0.8% of the cell sites in the affected area are out of service. The information shown was provided by the signatories to the Wireless Network Resiliency Framework Cooperative Agreement. Kentucky Cell Cell Cell Sites Cell Sites Out Cell Sites Affected Sites Sites Percent Out Due to Due to Out Due to State Counties Served Out Out Damage Transport1 Power KY BRECKINRIDGE 132 0 0.0% 0 0 0 KY BULLITT 144 0 0.0% 0 0 0 KY CALDWELL 112 0 0.0% 0 0 0 KY FULTON 102 0 0.0% 0 0 0 KY GRAVES 120 1 0.8% 0 1 0 KY GRAYSON 129 0 0.0% 0 0 0 KY HICKMAN 107 0 0.0% 0 0 0 KY HOPKINS 127 4 3.1% 2 3 0 KY LYON 113 0 0.0% 0 0 0 1 These are cell sites that are out due to issues with the (typically wireline) networks that route communications traffic to and from the cell sites. 3 KY MARSHALL 122 2 1.6% 1 0 1 KY MEADE 127 0 0.0% 0 0 0 KY MUHLENBERG 96 4 4.2% 2 2 0 KY OHIO 129 0 0.0% 0 0 0 KY SHELBY 134 0 0.0% 0 0 0 KY SPENCER 109 0 0.0% 0 0 0 KY TAYLOR 124 0 0.0% 0 0 0 KY WARREN 170 5 2.9% 0 4 1 TOTAL 2,097 16 0.8% 5 10 2 The number of cell site outages in a specific area does not necessarily correspond to the availability of wireless service to consumers in that area. See Improving the Resiliency of Mobile Wireless Communications Networks, Order, 31 FCC Rcd 13745, para. 10 (2016) (recognizing the difficulties in accurately depicting the ongoing status of a wireless provider’s service during emergencies). Wireless networks are often designed with numerous, overlapping cell sites that provide maximum capacity and continuity of service even when an individual site is inoperable. In addition, wireless providers frequently use temporary facilities such as cells- on-wheels (also known as COWs), increased power at operational sites, roaming agreements, or take other actions to maintain service to affected consumers during emergencies or other events that result in cell site outages. Cable Systems and Wireline (Combined) Cable and wireline companies reported 24,817 subscribers out of service in the disaster area; this may include the loss of telephone, television, and/or Internet services. Broadcast: Television stations status: 1 TV station reported being operational (WLCU-CD). No TV stations are reported as being out of service. FM Radio stations status: 4 FM radio stations reported being operational (WBVR-FM, WLCU, WRFM, WUHU). No FM stations are reported being out of service. AM Radio stations status: 1 AM radio station reported being operational (WBGN). No AM radio stations are reported being out of service. 4 Special Temporary Authority (STA)/Waivers/Extensions The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may grant Special Temporary Authority (STA) to permit immediate or temporary operation of certain radio facilities during emergencies or other urgent conditions, as well as waivers to support emergency communications and service restoration. During the Kentucky Tornadoes, there have been no STAs requested as of 12 pm on December 15, 2021. 5