The Office of Management and Budget has issued a
regulation that requires agencies to begin reviewing
telecommunications capabilities regarding contingency
and continuity of operations planning.
OMB — authorized by the President on June 29 to issue
regulations on certain telecommunications functions
under section 414 of the Transportation, Treasury,
Independent Agencies, and General Government
Appropriations Act of 2005 – said agencies would be in
compliance by initiating and conducting this review.
Agencies are responsible for ensuring “the continued
availability of its mission essential and national
security-emergency preparedness telecommunications
services” and the reviews “shall confirm” that agencies
have “addressed the need for viable, risk-based and
cost-effective methods for ensuring the availability
of mission essential and national security-emergency
telecommunications services,” wrote OMB in a memo.