An investigation by the Federal Communications Commission key out the causes of what it called “ unacceptably tedious return of wireless service ” in the aftermath ofHurricane Michael , the Category 5 thatripped across Floridain October , kill dozens and make some $ 25 billion in damage .
In some areas — such as Florida ’s Bay and Gulf Counties — wireless service was down for over a week , pull up stakes victims without a means of communication at a time when they need it the most .
TheFCC reportis dreary . Its sum-up notes , for example , that crews act upon to restore communicating in calamity areas were often themselves responsible for for perpetuate outage . A lack of coordination between the reparation crews and other workers “ unneeded prolonged the time customer lacked servicing , ” it says .
Utility workers clear a path for new electrical cable after the line was damaged by Hurricane Michael on 20 February 2025 in Panama City, Florida.Photo: Scott Olson / Getty
“ The poor level of overhaul several years after landfall by some wireless providers can not simply be assign to unforeseeable circumstances specific to those providers , ” the report discover .
As Ars Technica ’s Jon Brodkinnoted this good afternoon , the report make no credit of the fact that the FCC itself repealed regulations designed to lead off this eccentric of occurrence virtually two years ago .
In the wake of 2012 ’s Hurricane Sandy — a storm famously followed by similarly prolonged table service outages — the Obama presidential term established safeguard to prevent future delays . But almost at once after take over the FCC in 2017 , its current Republican chairman , Ajit Pai , did away withthis oversight exponent .
Harold Feld , senior VP at advocacy group Public Knowledge , noted in October : “ The state of affairs in Florida shows what happens when regulators give up their responsibilities to protect the public based on unenforceable hope from companies eager to cut cost for maintenance and emergency preparation . ”
The violent storm , he said , should serve as a “ arouse up call ” to states that have eradicate traditional supervising of telecommunications services and others deliberate doing the same .
Florida Governor Rick Scott also greatly diminished supervising of Florida ’s telephone avail with the Regulatory Reform Act of 2011 .
Finding the situation “ completely insufferable , ” the FCC offered legion recommendations for meliorate wireless restoration processes in the future . But because of Pai ’s attempt to reduce Union supervision of the telecommunication industriousness , they are merely that — recommendations .
The way recommended , for exercise , that wireless carriers increase their coordination with federal catastrophe response agencies and emergency operation centers . Communications providers and power companies , it say , should “ enter into coordination agreements regarding common preparation and restoration endeavour that can be activity when a storm strikes . ” But will they ?
Thanks to Pai , it ’s no longer the FCC ’s job to drive wireless provider to establish such protocol . Instead , it can keep pump out useless post - incident reports like this one , which prominently avoids analyze whether the bureau ’s own natural action played a chip in character in perpetuating human woe after a devastating lifelike catastrophe .
Ajit Paiwireless carriers
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