Crisis-ready telecom: Global approaches to emergency management in telecommunications

Abstract

This paper examines the integration of Emergency Management (EM) frameworks into telecommunications regulation to address climate-driven disasters. EM principles—prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery—offer a structured approach to strengthen telecom networks and manage crises. By analyzing international practices, the study identifies critical gaps in funding, coordination, and regulatory alignment, highlighting opportunities to align telecom policy with EM planning. The findings provide actionable recommendations to foster cross-sector collaboration, promote regulatory flexibility, and enhance infrastructure resilience in an increasingly interconnected and disaster-prone world. • Bridging Telecom Policy and EM Planning: There is an opportunity to integrate two distinct yet complementary domains: telecom policy and emergency management (EM)planning. These fields have historically evolved in silos, but integrating their frameworks will imporve network resilience. • Power of EM Frameworks : EM principles—prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery—provide a systematic foundation for embedding resilience into telecom policy and practice. • Lessons from International Best Practices: The U.S., Japan, and EU demonstrate how EM-driven strategies—such as partnerships, targeted investments, and integrated policies—can aeffectively address telecom vulnerabilities. • Gaps in Funding and Coordination: Critical gaps remain in proactive funding, unified EM adoption, and cross-jurisdictional collaboration. • Evaluating Traditional Telecom Policies : Traditional telecom policies must be critically evaluated for their impact on resilience.incentivizingfacilities-based competition, technological diversity, and robust network deployment, particularly in underserved areas.

Topics & Concepts