STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER AJIT PAI July 19, 2012 RE: Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Efforts to Analyze 9-1-1 Outages in Wake of June 29, 2012 Derecho Storm The June 29th “Derecho” storm left in its wake a wave of destruction across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. In addition to property damage and power outages, communications networks of all types and Public Safety Answering Points were hit hard, leaving many without service or the ability to complete a 911 call—in some cases, for several days. This storm exposed a very serious set of issues that requires the Commission’s attention. I commend the Chairman and the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau for launching this inquiry into the causes of the outages and the resiliency and reliability of 911 networks, in fulfillment of our responsibilities under Section 1 of the Communications Act. I hope that the Commission will quickly finalize this fact-finding and identify the lessons to be learned so that our nation’s communications systems can better withstand future emergencies. Finally, I would like to thank broadcasters for the critical role they played in relaying information to those impacted by the storms. When electrical power, cell sites, and broadband networks went offline, battery-power radios served as a lifeline connecting many of us to the outside world.