(a) During, or in anticipation of, a non-wartime emergency or natural disaster, a telecommunications capacity must exist to provide temporary telecommunications service to State and local government officials and other persons deemed appropriate by the President.

(b) In the event of a general war and attack upon the Nation, a national telecommunications capability must exist that will support telecommunications requirements with respect to national security, survival and recovery. The development of survivable telecommunications to support essential functions (including an emergency broadcasting system), and technical compatibility of signaling methods, transmission modes, switching facilities, and terminal devices to permit exchange of communications over the surviving media of all systems, government or commercial, are crucial elements of such a national capability. In addition, a survivable national telecommunications management structure is necessary to manage initiation, coordination and restoration of telecommunications services. The management structure must include the following:

(1) Legal authority for telecommunications management.

(2) A control mechanism to manage the initiation, coordination and restoration of telecommunications services.

(3) Procedures to ensure timely damage assessment and allocation of residual resources and controlled restoration of services based on national policy/direction.

(4) The capability to execute a telecommunications recovery plan based on national policy/guidance.

(c) Notwithstanding any provision regarding NS/EP Planning and Execution, nothing in this part shall be deemed to affect the authorities or responsibilities of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, or any Office or official thereof; or reassign any function assigned any agency under the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended, or under any other law, or any function vested by law in the Federal Communications Commission.


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