Communications Sector
The Communications Sector provides the voice, video, and data services that connect people, businesses, governments, and critical infrastructure throughout the Nation. Communications networks enable everything from everyday telephone and internet access to emergency response, financial transactions, transportation management, energy operations, and the remote monitoring and control of essential infrastructure.
Overview
The sector includes interconnected broadcasting, cable, satellite, wireless, and wireline systems. These geographically dispersed networks combine physical infrastructure with sophisticated information technology to transmit information rapidly across local, regional, national, and global networks.
Virtually every modern critical infrastructure sector depends on communications services. Energy providers use communications to monitor and control electric and fuel systems, emergency services depend on communications for 911 and dispatch operations, transportation systems use them to manage traffic and operations, and water facilities rely on communications to monitor treatment and distribution systems.
Protecting the Communications Sector requires cybersecurity, physical security, network redundancy, emergency preparedness, supply-chain resilience, and the ability to rapidly restore service following disruptions. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security serves as the Sector Risk Management Agency for the Communications Sector and works with government and private-sector partners to strengthen the security and resilience of these essential networks.
