Federal Register #2026-13155

FCC Final Rule: Modernization of Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) for Communications Outage Reporting

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a final rule updating its Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) to improve emergency communications outage reporting. - Government Buyer: - Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau - Scope of Rule: - Modernizes DIRS to streamline reporting and reduce burdens on communications providers, especially small and rural businesses - Introduces a redesigned user interface and a one-click filing option for providers to indicate no change in infrastructure status - Exempts non-facilities-based providers from DIRS reporting, but requires them to report outages in NORS - Mandates daily DIRS reporting for facilities-based cable, wireline, wireless, and interconnected VoIP providers during activations - Requires public safety voice and broadband network operators (e.g., FirstNet, Verizon Frontline, T-Mobile T-Priority) to report outages in DIRS, enhancing situational awareness during disasters - Products/Services Requested: - No specific products, OEMs, or vendors are being procured; this is a regulatory change - Service: Mandatory daily infrastructure status reporting in DIRS during activations - Unique Requirements: - Focus on improving efficiency and utility of outage reporting to support disaster response - Estimated $4 million in annual cost savings from reduced reporting burdens - DIRS activations typically require daily reports for an average of 14 days - No contract opportunity, procurement, or award is associated with this rule update

Description

This final rule issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) updates the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) to streamline reporting requirements, reduce burdens on small and other service providers, and improve data collection for disaster response. The rule redesigns the DIRS user interface, establishes a one-click filing option for unchanged infrastructure status, and exempts certain non-facilities-based providers from reporting. It also mandates reporting for public safety voice and broadband network operators to enhance visibility during emergencies. The rule aims to support disaster response efforts by improving the efficiency and utility of communications outage reporting.

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