Trusty Addresses Resilient Networks and National Security
FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty laid out a framework for the agency to work on protecting communications networks from national security threats in a speech Monday to the Hudson Institute, saying that doing so has become a priority for her as a commissioner. Modernizing U.S. communications networks requires updating legacy infrastructure, hardening “critical nodes” such as submarine cable landing stations and 911 centers, improving space and satellite security, and using data and AI to spot threats, she said. She called on the FCC to better protect submarine cables by coordinating with other agencies and the intelligence community; focus on stronger cross-border spectrum coordination; and “help support more robust situational awareness tools for state, local, and tribal emergency authorities.” Local officials "increasingly depend on timely, accurate, and actionable information about network outages, and modernizing those tools would strengthen response and recovery during crises."
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Trusty also said the FCC would benefit from “realistic, multi-sector” drills involving emergencies that test communications resilience. “These should test scenarios such as a coordinated physical attack on a fiber hub occurring simultaneously with a cyber intrusion on a cloud routing provider,” she said. “Exercises like these help highlight seams, reveal dependencies, and strengthen preparedness long before a real crisis occurs.”
In addition, Trusty said the FCC should work on international coordination and promote secure standards and trusted vendors. “Early engagement in standards bodies can help shape a more secure, interoperable, and resilient global communications environment.” In coming years, the agency should focus on updating outage reporting, “strengthening transparency around supply-chain risks,” promoting-responsible space sector growth, integrating AI into networks and FCC decision-making, and “expanding coordination with law enforcement on infrastructure vandalism,” she said. Maintaining America’s strength in communications “requires vigilance, investment, and a recognition that every fiber link, every antenna, every satellite, and every switch is part of a larger system that underpins our national life.”