Critical Infrastructure Communications Coalition (CICC) Urges the FCC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2010

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Oldak Vice President & General Counsel, Utilities Telecom Council, Chair, Critical Infrastructure Communications Coalition
202.833.6808
mike.oldak@utc.org

Critical Infrastructure Communications Coalition (CICC) Urges the FCC to Consider Carefully Their Urgent Need For Access to Spectrum

Washington, DC - The Critical Infrastructure Communications Coalition (CICC) highlighted the spectrum crisis affecting the operations of critical infrastructure industries in a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chair Julius Genachowski. The CICC represents virtually all the utilities and corporations in the electric, gas, and oil industries; entities that literally provide services that reach every consumer in the United States. The letter points out that the lack of dedicated and/or shared spectrum impacts their ability to not only support national goals for economic recovery, public safety, energy independence and improving the environment, but to provide safe, reliable and efficient delivery of essential services. Michael Oldak, Vice President & General Counsel, Utilities Telecom Council, noted that “Too often the needs of the critical infrastructure industries for spectrum get overlooked in favor of meeting the needs of commercial wireless providers.”

Access to spectrum, either dedicated and/or shared with appropriate other users, will be a major factor in whether these critical industries can respond to this Administration’s call for a smarter, more efficient energy network through deployments of smart grids. The CICC letter indicated that while commercial broadband can, and will, be used, the mission-critical control and restoration needs of critical infrastructure industries cannot be met this way. Commercial networks fail to provide the required coverage, reliability and security outside a handful of major cities. The CICC members emphasize that any claims to the contrary are inaccurate at best, and ignore the potential risk to the most necessary of everyday services.

Signatories to the Critical Infrastructure Communication Council letter include the American Gas Association, The American Petroleum Institute, the American Public Power Association, the Edison Electric Institute, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and the Utilities Telecom Council.

Utilities Telecom Council
The Utilities Telecom Council (UTC) is a global, full-service trade association dedicated to creating a favorable business, regulatory, and technological environment for entities that own, manage, or provide critical telecommunications systems in support of core services. Founded in 1948, UTC has evolved into a dynamic organization that represents the broad communications interests of electric, gas, and water utilities; natural gas pipelines; other critical infrastructure entities and other industry stakeholders. Visit www.utc.org for more information on UTC and its services.