In preparation for this year's hurricane season, the cable industry has focused on a new initiative, "Cable: Ready," an operational and educational initiative to help strengthen the nation's cable infrastructure to deal with natural disasters and other emergencies. The nation's top cable companies have pledged to review and assess their emergency preparedness plans and continue ongoing efforts to coordinate emergency activities with first responders, other government agencies and service providers.
The National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) said cable multiple system operators such as Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, Adelphia, Cablevision and Mediacom are taking a variety of steps in order to prepare, including reviewing and updating emergency preparedness plans; conducting a fresh assessment of system needs and vulnerabilities; coordinating emergency preparedness plans with local and regional equipment vendors, public utilities, broadcasters, and wireline and wireless phone companies; and reaching out to emergency managers, first responders, local government officials and broadcasters.
The launch of the initiative coincided with the National Hurricane Preparedness Week in May and is intended to support and complement efforts at the FCC to develop recommendations to improve communications continuity and recovery in the wake of the 2005 hurricane season.
"The FCC, led by Chairman Kevin Martin, is right to challenge all communications companies to make emergency preparedness a priority. 'Cable: Ready' will keep cable industry companies focused on this vital work of emergency preparedness and disaster response," said Kyle McSlarrow, president and CEO of NCTA.
