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We’ve been getting a lot of questions about membership on the Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council (CSRIC).  So, we decided to extend the deadline to give everyone time to respond.  THE NEW DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS IS MAY 13, 2011.  The Public Notice extending the date is available on our website at http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0419/DA-11-713A1.pdf.

We’d like to have a broad range of interests and expertise represented on the CSRIC.  Here are the types of organizations we described in the PN. 

• Federal, state, tribal, and local; State, tribal, and/or local government agencies and organizations with expertise in homeland security and communications issues;
• Communications service providers and organizations representing communications service providers;
• Online retailers, online technology service providers, Internet security companies, and other providers of online services;
• Entities representing users of communications systems in  business, finance, energy, education, and health care sectors and;
• Consumer or community organizations, such as those representing people with disabilities, the elderly, those living in rural areas, and those representing populations that speak, as their primary language, languages other than English.

As a refresher - the CSRIC is a Federal Advisory Committee that will provide recommendations to the Commission on topics such as best practices to promote reliable 9-1-1, E9-1-1, and Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) service; best practices to make communications networks, more secure, resilient, and defendable from Internet-based attacks; promoting the development of a broadband-based, next generation alerting system o distribute emergency alerts and warnings to the public, among others.

Last week, following my trip to Boston, I had the honor of traveling to Orlando to speak at the Women in Public Safety Communications Leadership Conference, hosted by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International. This event is of course near and dear to my heart, as it combines two of my passions: promoting public safety and empowering women. Women face unique challenges in the workplace, so I always jump at the opportunity to share my experiences in arriving at where I am today.

The most important lesson I attempted to impart at the Conference was to understand and embrace the fact that there are many paths to becoming a leader in this industry. Over the years, I have spoken with a number of women who have conveyed their discouragement in the fact that they are unable to advance into leadership positions in their respective fields. I always stress, however, that there is a big difference between being a leader and having the title of leader – the ability to take charge and to be a model for others to follow is what defines a leader, not necessarily the position one holds.

Consumers may need better information to determine which broadband service to purchase to meet their needs. Yesterday, the FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) released a Public Notice requesting comment on this topic. As CGB Bureau Chief Joel Gurin noted, the metrics for broadband speed and performance are not as meaningful to consumers as, say, measures of fuel economy:  “Most people don’t understand megabits-per-second in the way they understand miles-per-gallon.”

But in another way, fuel economy and broadband performance are similar—they’re complex measurements influenced by many factors. How much gas you use depends on everything from how full your tires are to how cold it is outside to how aggressively you drive. Similarly, a single user checking email at 10 AM might find a lower speed broadband service to be sufficient, but the same connection might not support a household with a heavy gaming user, a VoIP- and VPN-using telecommuter, and movie fans watching HD-quality streaming video in the living room at 7 PM. 

It’s no simple task to determine how “fast” your Internet connection is; just developing a measurement methodology that accurately captures and represents performance is a serious technical challenge.

The FCC took on this challenge when we set out to test broadband performance in the homes of 10,000 volunteers across the nation. To do this test, we contracted with SamKnows, a consulting company that conducted a similar effort in the United Kingdom with the regulatory authority for the UK communications sector. Our nationwide test is the first precise U.S. measurement of internet services as delivered to the home by the service provider.

Last week, I spent a few days in Boston, aka Bean Town, aka Cradle of Modern America. Since the purpose of the trip was to participate in Free Press’s National Conference on Media Reform (NCMR) and visit Verizon’s LTE Innovation Lab in nearby Waltham, I anticipated being impressed by the level of creativity and excitement at both venues. The trip exceeded my expectations. The majority of the attendees at NCMR are folks who have dedicated their lives to “building the movement for better media” on both traditional and new media platforms. Thursday evening, my legal advisor, Louis, and I had dinner with Jay April and Sean McLaughlin. I knew that both are accomplished and acclaimed veterans of community radio and television. They are also very charming and intelligent.