Resilient Networks; Disruptions to Communications

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) commences a thorough review of the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) and proposes changes to ensure the system is collecting information useful to disaster response without imposing unreasonable burdens on stakeholders. To reduce these burdens, this document proposes replacing the different DIRS worksheets with a single, dynamic form and introduces a "one-click" option for indicating there is "no change" from the preceding day's DIRS report. Further, this document proposes eliminating or modifying information fields that are duplicative or that may not request information that offers significant value for disaster response. The document further proposes reducing burdens by removing the requirement for mandatory DIRS filers to submit a final report within 24 hours of DIRS deactivation, and eliminating the reporting obligations for non- facilities-based providers. Other modernization proposals include suspending Network Outage Reporting System (NORS) reporting requirements for providers that timely report in DIRS Lite and removing barriers to outage information sharing for state agencies.