We might not think about how important broadband is to our safety… but, as we recognize National Preparedness Month, it’s a good time to take a look at industry efforts to keep America safe and secure…with Broadband Now.

Whether it’s an earthquake… a hurricane… or other threats, protecting broadband infrastructure is critical to public safety.   From the mechanisms of global finance…to life-saving communications among first responders…broadband is central to our modern, connected lives.

Each September, the Department of Homeland Security sponsors National Preparedness Month, through its Ready Campaign, available online at www.ready.gov.  

Ready.gov offers a wealth of resources for staying one step ahead of emergency situations.  The site allows you to subscribe to an RSS feed for daily safety tips, learn how to make an emergency preparedness kit, and find out how businesses and communities can prepare for emergencies. 

But, it’s during a crisis that broadband’s ability to speed real-time access to vital, life-saving information that can allow police, fire and emergency personnel to coordinate response activities becomes so apparent. 

Massachusetts-based BeSafe Technologies delivers critical data instantly to first responders while en route or on-site at an emergency.  This can include building schematics, live video feeds, locations of hazardous materials and other essential data. These systems are in place in virtually all of the state’s community colleges and nearly 25% of the K-12 public schools.

With 90% of broadband infrastructure in the United States in private hands, public-private collaboration both to prepare for and respond to emergencies is critical.  With every government jurisdiction playing their respective roles, understanding these roles and the partnerships that exist can be a daunting task.  

To make things easier, USTelecom recently developed a Public Safety and National Security Telecom Toolkit, a dynamic resource to help the industry, government officials, first responders and the media, navigate the many federal, state, regional, and private efforts underway. 

The toolkit offers real-time, situational awareness updates, and shares publicly available data on current threats and emergencies from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Homeland Security and other critical entities.  It also explains the roles of these government agencies, the public-private partnerships and private telecom company efforts to advance public safety.

The toolkit is available on the USTelecom website… in our new social newsroom.

That’s all for this edition of Broadband Now.  Until next time, rest assured that USTelecom and its member companies—America’s broadband service providers—are hard at work to help keep you safe, secure and connected.

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