# Presentation: 710537

## TELECOMMUNICATIONS

***TELECOMMUNICATIONS***
***SERVICE PRIORITY (TSP)***

**Notes:**
Thank you and good afternoon.  I appreciate the opportunity to talk to you today about the Telecommunications Service Priority program.  This briefing is designed to provide a basic understanding about the various aspects of the program.  

At the end of the briefing, I will provide you with contact information and also answer any questions that you may have.  

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## About TSP

** ****The TSP Program ensures **_**priority**_** treatment for**
**   ****the Nation's most important telecommunication**
**   ****services, services supporting national security or**
**   ****emergency preparedness (NS/EP) missions.**
** ****NS/EP services are the services used**
-  to maintain a state of readiness
-  to respond to and manage any event or crisis (local,
-   national, or international) which causes or could cause
-  injury or harm to the population
-  damage to or loss of property
-  degradation or threat to the NS/EP posture of
-   the United States.

**Notes:**
The two key words here are “priority” and the acronym “NS/EP.”

## Legal Background

**On November 17, 1988, the FCC issued a Report and Order  (FCC 88-341) establishing the TSP Program as the regulatory, administrative, and operational framework for priority provisioning and restoration of qualified NS/EP telecommunications services.**
**The TSP Program was created as an amendment to Part 64 of the  FCC's Rules and Regulations (Title 47 CFR).**
**The FCC designated the Executive Office of the President (EOP) as administrator of the TSP Program.  The EOP delegated its responsibilities to the Manager of the National Communications System (NCS), which, in turn, assigned the administration and execution of the TSP Program to the Office of Priority Telecommunications (OPT) located at the NCS.**

**Notes:**
Executive Order 12656 provides for assignment of emergency preparedness responsibilities to the Federal departments and agencies.  It defines effective national security emergency preparedness planning as requiring: identification of functions that would have to be performed during such an emergency; development of plans for performing these functions; and development of the capability to execute those plans.

## Who Qualifies for TSP? 

**	****Organizations with telecommunications services that support either a *****national security***** or *****emergency preparedness***** mission**

** ****Federal users**
** ****Non-Federal users (via Federal sponsor)**
** ****State & local government (state EOCs, police, fire, EMS)**
** ****Foreign governments, within U.S. jurisdiction (embassy)**
** ****Private Industry (power / gas utilities, hospitals, etc.)**

**Notes:**
In order to qualify for TSP restoration or provisioning, an organization must support a NS/EP mission.  

TSP hosts both Federal and non-Federal users, such as State and local governments, foreign governments, and private industry.

Prior to TSP, restoration services were limited to Federal agencies.  The FCC expanded these services to include non-Federal NS/EP organizations.

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## What are NS/EP 

- 	 NS/EP posture of the United States.

**What are NS/EP **
**Telecommunications Services?**

**Notes:**
The Federal Communications Commission or FCC defines National Security and Emergency Preparedness or NS/EP as those services used...   READ SLIDE

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## TSP Categories  

**National Security Leadership**** **
**	****Presidential communications service critical to COG & national leadership during crises and Intelligence warning of catastrophic attack**
**National Security Posture & U.S. Population Attack Warning**
**	****Services essential to optimum defense, diplomatic, or continuity of government postures before, during, and after crisis situations including Federal, State, and local governments, and national space operations**
**Public Health, Safety and Maintenance of Law and Order**
**	****Services necessary for giving civil alert, maintaining law and order and the health and safety of the U.S. population**
**Public Welfare and Maintenance of the National Economic Posture**
**	****Services necessary for maintaining the public welfare and national economic posture during any national or regional emergency**

**    **

**TSP Components**** **

**	****The TSP program contains two primary and distinctive components:**

**Notes:**
The TSP program consists of two components:
 Restoration, and
 Provisioning.

TSP restoration priorities are applied to new or existing telecommunication services to ensure they are restored by telecommunications vendors before a non-TSP program user.  Note that TSP restoration assignments must be requested and assigned before a service outage occurs.  So in other words, you cannot request restoration assignments after a disaster strikes.

TSP provisioning priorities facilitate the priority installation of new telecommunication services by vendors in a shorter than normal time interval.  However, this service cannot be used to compensate for inadequate planning on the part of the user.  

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## What is TSP Restoration?

***Restoration*** means the repair or returning to service of telecommunications services that have experienced a service outage or are unusable for any reason.
- Priority ***restoration*** is applied to new or existing telecommunications services to ensure restoration before any other services.
- TSP** *****restoration*** priorities must be requested and assigned ***before*** a service outage occurs.

**Notes:**
What is TSP restoration, Well, TSP restoration services is much like automobile insurance, one must pre-enroll in TSP to qualify for restoration service.

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## Who is a Sponsor? 

- All non-Federal users who request a TSP provisioning or                                                     restoration assignment are required to have a Federal agency sponsor their request.
- A sponsor can be any Federal agency with which a non-Federal user may be affiliated, as specified in Executive Order 12656, “Assignment of Emergency Preparedness Responsibilities,” dated November 18, 1988.
**The primary roles of a Federal sponsor are to:**
- Review and determine whether to approve foreign, State, and local government and private industry requests for priority actions.
- Affirm that the requested priority level assignment is appropriate.

*A Federal sponsor does not incur financial liability for the sponsored service.*

**Notes:**
All non-Federal users who request a TSP provisioning or restoration assignment are required to have a Federal agency sponsor the request.  A sponsor can be any Federal agency with which the non-Federal user may be affiliated.

The primary role of a Federal sponsor is to review and determine if the service qualified for TSP, and to affirm that the priority level is appropriate.  Upon approval, the sponsor then forwards the request, with recommendations, to the OPT.

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## 		Restoration Flow Diagram

- Manager, NCS
- OPT

- Vendor

- User requests a TSP authorization
- TSP Authorization Code is issued to User
- User provides TSP Code with service order to Vendor
- Vendor records TSP status in circuit records, and confirms completion to NCS/OPT
*(Completed before a Loss of Service)*

-   After Loss of Service:
-  Vendor records identify circuits
-      for priority restoration.
-  Response is automatic.

- Federal User / Contracting Activity

| T | S | P | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | C | - | 0 | 4 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |

**Notes:**
This diagram illustrates the TSP request process for restoration assignment.
As shown

1st the User must submit a TSP request to the Office of Priority Telecommunications Services or the OPT.
2nd the OPT will then issue  a TSP authorization code to the User.
An example of the 12-character Authorization Code is shown.  The last two digits in the sample “0 4” represent the priority level assignment.  The 1st of the two digits represents the Provisioning priority level, which is “0” or no provisioning in this example.  The 2nd of the digits is the Restoration priority level, which is “4” in this example.
3rd the user provides the TSP code to the vendor, who in turn records the TSP status.

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## What is TSP Provisioning?

- A key feature of the TSP Program is that users can obtain ***provisioning priority*** from service vendors  for the installation of new NS/EP services
- A ***provisioning priority*** authorizes the service vendor to take steps to provide the service earlier than the vendor’s normal business procedures would allow

**Notes:**
The second component of the TSP program is the provisioning service.

A provisioning priority authorizes the service vendor to take steps to provide the service earlier than the vendor’s normal business procedures would allow.

I need to reinnerate the fact that this service can not be used to compensate for inadequate planning.

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## Who is an Invocation Official? 

- An invocation official is a designated individual with the authority and responsibility to approve the cost and criticality of the provisioning request of a telecommunications service.

-   Certify that the NS/EP telecom service is so vital that it must be
-      expeditiously provisioned.
-   Delegate authority to approve provisioning requests and authorize
-      the expenditure of funds to other appropriate individuals within their
-      agency or organization.
-   Identify delegates in writing to the OPT.

_**The primary roles of an invocation official are to:**_

_**Who can be designated as an Invocation Official?**_

-   The head or director of a Federal department or agency
-   Commander of a unified or specified military command
-   Chief of a military service
-   Commander of a major military command
-   State Governors

**Notes:**
An invocation official is a designated individual with the authority and responsibility to approve the cost and criticality of the provisioning request of a telecommunications service.

This person could be the head or director of a Federal or non federal agency, the Commander of a military command, the Chief of a military service, or the state governors.

The responsibilities of an invocation official are to:
  certify that the NS/EP telecom service is vital.
  approve the cost. 
  delegate authority to approve provisioning requests.
  AND identify delegates in writing to the OPT.

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## Provisioning Flow Diagram

- Manager, NCS
- OPT

- User / Contracting Activity

- Vendor

- User & Vendor pre-coordinate proposed Service Order
- Invocation Official certifies User’s request for Provisioning
- User requests a Provisioning Priority
- TSP Authorization Code is issued to User
- User provides TSP Code with service order to Vendor
- Vendor expedites service order and confirms completion to NCS/OPT

- Invocation Official

- Service Order processed with “Best Effort” priority

| T | S | P | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | C | - | E | 2 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |

**Notes:**
This diagram illustrates the TSP process for requesting provisioning service.

1st the User and Vendor must pre-coordinate proposed service order.
2nd  an invocation official certifies the users request.  
3rd  the user requests a provisioning priority.
4th  the TSP authorization code is issued to the user and in turn the user provides the TSP code to the vendor.
An example of the 12-character Authorization Code is shown.  The last two digits in the sample, “E 2”, represent the priority level assignment.  The 1st of the two digits represents the Provisioning priority level, which is “E” to indicate an Emergency provisioning.  The 2nd of the digits is the Restoration priority level, which is “2” to indicate the customer’s ability to provide site access and spare equipment for the installation.
At this point the vendor expedites the service order.

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## How Does TSP Provisioning Work?

**Office of**
**Priority**
**Telecommunications**

- Authorized Invocation
- Official
- Approves Funding*

- Issues TSP
- Authorization Code

**FECC Coordinates**
**TSP Provisioning request**

- Identify new
- circuit require-
- ments

**FECC**

**Service Provider**

**DISASTER AREA**

******* ****Innovation Officials have the authority to approve the cost and criticality of a TSP provisioning request**

**Service User**

## What are TSP ServiceVendor Responsibilities? 

**What are TSP Service****Vendor Responsibilities?**** **

- After a qualified NS/EP user receives a TSP assignment from the OPT, the user forwards the TSP Authorization Code to a service vendor in a service order.  The vendor provides TSP service only after receipt of a TSP Authorization Code from the user.
**The vendor then:**
- Provides the circuit ID to the OPT in a vendor confirmation
- Ensures TSP System priorities supersede any other telecommunications priority
- Restores existing services before provisioning new TSP services
- Provides the provisioning and/or restoration priority level assigned to a service to subcontractors and interconnecting carriers
- Participates in the annual reconciliation of TSP information at the request of the OPT
- Completes reconciliation of TSP information with all subcontractors every three years

**Notes:**
Telecommunications vendors are mandated to participate in the TSP program.  Their responsibilities to the users are presented here.

1st.   Provide TSP service only after the receipt of an authorization code.

2nd.  They must  ensure that TSP restoration and provisioning supersedes any other telecommunications priority.

3rd.   They must designate a 24-hour point of contact for TSP issues.

4th.   Provide the level of provisioning and restoration to subcontractors and interconnecting    carriers.

5th.  They must submit annual reconciliation reports to the OPT.

And lastly, they must  complete reconciliation of TSP information with subcontractors 

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## What is the Sequence for Priority Services? 

- In resolving conflicts, the Executive Office of the President requires that restoration and provisioning of TSP services follow this sequence.
- 1. Restore TSP services assigned restoration priority 1.
- 2. Provision Emergency TSP assigned provisioning priority E.
- 3. Restore TSP Services assigned restoration priority 2, 3, 4,
-     or 5.
- 4. Provision TSP Services assigned provisioning priority 1, 2,
-     3, 4, or 5.

**Notes:**
In resolving conflicts, vendors are required by law restore and provision TSP services in the sequence indicated here.  

As a matter of general practice, vendors should restore existing services before provisioning new TSP services. 

If multiple service request exist, vendors should restore service they determine can be restored with ease first.

This sequence is laid out by the FCC and cannot be negotiated.

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## How Do Vendors Respond to Emergency TSP Provisionings?  

***  *****EMERGENCY**

- When service vendors receive an E provisioning priority, they will take immediate action and allocate the resources necessary to provide the service as soon as possible
- If a vendor receives more than one E TSP request from different users, the vendor will provision them in order of receipt

**Notes:**
It is important to note that users should have realistic expectations regarding do dates for provisioning services.  The date placed in the due date field on the SF 315 form is not necessarily the date on which service will be guaranteed.  The service vendor is required to make its best effort to provide emergency TSP services.

## How Do Vendors Respond toEssential TSP Provisionings? 

- When service vendors receive an essential provisioning priority, they will make their best effort to provision the service by the requested due dates.
- Service vendors will provision essential TSP services, which are assigned the same provisioning priority and the same service due date, in the order in which they received the requests.

***  *****ESSENTIAL**

**Notes:**
Just as stated on the previous slide, the service vendor is required to make its best effort to provide essential TSP services.

For both emergency and essential TSP services, the user needs to insure that there is a 24 hour contact person available and that 24 access is given to the facility to receive the service.

## TSP provides service vendors with a FCC mandate for prioritizing services that are critical to NS/EP
TSP is a critical tool for emergency response and recovery efforts
TSP provisioning might be the only means of installing new services in a time of crisis
TSP restoration enables the NS/EP community to have telecommunications services restored prior to other services

- TSP is a critical tool for emergency response and recovery efforts
- TSP provisioning might be the only means of installing new services in a time of crisis
- TSP restoration enables the NS/EP community to have telecommunications services restored prior to other services

**Why Should I Use TSP?**

## TSP Web Site

**	****http://tsp.ncs.gov**

**Notes:**
The TSP Web site is an excellent source for all things connected with  the program.  It features a history and general information about the program, as well as all program documentation.  You can also download TSP forms, and complete and submit all required documentation online.

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## Contact Information

_**TELEPHONE:**_
- Business hours (8 a.m. to
- 4 p.m.) or after hours :
- OPT:	(703) 607-4933
- 	(703) 607-4932
- DSN:	(703) 327-4933
- 	(703) 327-4932

_**FACSIMILE:**_
- Unclassified:
- OPT:	(703) 607-4937
- DSN:	(703) 327-4937
*Call the OPT to obtain classified facsimile information*

_**WEBSITE:**_
**http://tsp.ncs.gov**** **
** **_**E-MAIL:**_
**tsp@ncs.gov**

_**MAILING ADDRESS**_**:**
- Office of the Manager,
- National Communications System
- ATTN:  Office of Priority
-              Telecommunications (OPT)
- 701 South Court House Road
- Arlington, VA  22204-2198

**Notes:**
Here are the various methods for contacting the OPT.  If you have additional questions, or would like more information on the TSP program, please contact the OPT directly or visit the TSP Web site at the URL indicated.

If time permits:  At this time, I’d be happy to take some questions.

Thank you for time.