Resilient Together with Priority Telecommunications Services (PTS)
In emergencies, maintaining open lines of communication is not just challenging—it's crucial. Congested networks can hamper rescue and relief efforts, making a difficult situation even more dire. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offers three Priority Telecommunications Services that enable essential personnel to communicate when networks are degraded or congested due to weather events, mass gatherings, cyberattacks, or events stemming from human error.
This April is Emergency Communications Month, and CISA is encouraging organizations responsible for our critical infrastructure sectors to significantly bolster their communications resiliency and emergency preparedness by enrolling in priority services.
GETS and WPS are offered at no charge, require no special equipment, and can work separately or together to achieve a call completion rate greater than 90%, even during emergencies. WPS prioritizes calls when cellular networks are degraded or congested. GETS prioritizes calls when landline networks are degraded or congested, and they can be made from phones worldwide.
The two services can even be used together on mobile phones in one convenient app called the PTS Dialer, which can be programmed to easily make a priority call in just a few clicks.
To begin the enrollment process, visit https://www.cisa.gov/apply-pcs, and join us on April 30th for an informational webinar where we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the GETs and WPS services and how to get your organization started.
No matter what vital industry you represent, adding priority services to your emergency communications plan is one of the easiest ways to ensure seamless communications when they are needed most.