Government Accountability Office
Critical Infrastructure Protection: Additional Actions Needed to Identify Framework Adoption and Resulting Improvements (Government Accountability Office)
Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Wed, 02/26/2020 - 09:45Primer on Deepfakes (Government Accountability Office)
Submitted by benton on Tue, 02/25/2020 - 11:39Federal Rulemaking: Selected Agencies Should Clearly Communicate How They Post Public Comments and Associated Identity Info (Government Accountability Office)
Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Thu, 02/06/2020 - 15:04Emergency Alerting: Agencies Need to Address Pending Applications and Monitor Industry Progress on System Improvements
The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Modernization Act, enacted in 2016, required the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in consultation and coordination with Federal Communications Commission, to enhance and test the capabilities of IPAWS and increase its adoption among state and local public safety agencies. GAO was asked to review the federal response to recent natural disasters. This report examines, among other things: (1) trends in the use of IPAWS and (2) actions that FEMA and FCC have taken to modernize IPAWS and increase its adoption.
DHS Directives Have Strengthened Federal Cybersecurity, but Improvements Are Needed (Government Accountability Office)
Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 13:22Public Safety Broadband Network: Deployment Is Progressing, but FirstNet Could Strengthen Its Oversight
Public-safety officials such as police officers and firefighters rely on communications systems to do their jobs. The Department of Commerce's FirstNet must establish a nationwide public-safety broadband network for use by these officials. In March 2017, FirstNet awarded a 25-year, multibillion-dollar contract to AT&T to deploy, operate, and maintain the network. AT&T must meet milestones specified in the contract, such as for providing network coverage and for the network's adoption.
Dept of Defense Should Develop a Plan for Implementing Its Recommendations on a Future Wideband Architecture (Government Accountability Office)
Submitted by benton on Thu, 12/19/2019 - 15:52
FCC Should Take Additional Action to Manage Fraud Risks in Its Program to Support Broadband Service in High-Cost Areas
GAO was asked to review funding reforms and fraud controls the Federal Communications Commission has implemented for rate-of-return carriers. This report examines the extent to which FCC: (1) has implemented funding reforms specific to rate-ofreturn carriers, and (2) is managing fraud risks for the high-cost program in accordance with leading practices. One of the reforms that GAO reviewed established a funding mechanism for the carriers whereby FCC determines the level of financial support to provide the carriers based on cost and revenue estimates produced by a model.
FCC Should Take Efforts to Promote Tribal Access to Spectrum
In 2018, the GAO released a report related to spectrum use for broadband services by tribal entities and selected updates. Specifically, it discusses (1) tribal entities' ability to obtain and access spectrum to provide broadband services and the reported barriers that may exist, and (2) the extent to which FCC promotes and supports tribal efforts to obtain and access spectrum. For that report, GAO interviewed 16 tribal entities that were using wireless technologies. Selected entities varied geographically, among other characteristics.