Hurricane Sandy had a devastating effect on wireless
infrastructure in areas hardest hit by the storm. As a result,
the FCC today announced plans to conduct field hearings
throughout the US that will assess network resiliency and
investigate how carriers can keep communications flowing during
natural disasters and other situations where their services
become most vital. But the meetings will also address emergency
preparedness to a wider degree. Aside from the telecom focus,
these hearings aim to highlight our dependency on fuel during
emergencies (many NYC-based companies relied on it to stay
operational during Sandy), resource pooling in times of crisis,
and 911 accessibility, among other timely concerns.  The FCC
looks to avoid communication breakdown for future emergencies
The first hearing will take place in New York in early 2013,
with the FCC planning to make stops at various locales across
the US that have faced major disasters in recent years.
According to the commission, consumers, businesses, publ