Table of Contents:
	Background and Purpose
	Organizational Structure
	Functions of the NCC
	General Operating Procedures
	Funding Arrangements
	Amendments to the NCC Charter
	Appendix

Background and Purpose

CONCEPT OF THE NCC
The National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) was created to bring to the President and to the Executive Agent, National Communications Systems (NCS), knowledge and insight not available within the Government, on those issues and problems related to the implementation of National Security Telecommunications Policy. At a series of meetings in 1982, industry and government identified the need for an authoritative entity to coordinate initiation and restoration of national security emergency preparedness (NS/EP) telecommunications services. This requirement led to the development of the concept of a National Coordinating Mechanism (NCM).

In February 1983, the Industry Executive Subcommittee (IES) of the NSTAC convened a meeting of the Emergency Response Procedures Working Group, (ERPWG) of the NSTAC to address the NCM. The Working Group, in turn, established an NCM Task Force to evaluate alternative NCM concepts. As a result of the task force deliberations, the recommendation was made to the NSTAC and subsequently to the President for an industry and government-staffed National Coordinating Center (NCC) to be created as the operational arm of the NCM.

The NCC was officially established on January 3, 1984 with eleven telecommunications industry entities and the United States Telephone Association participating, together with representatives of the NCS. To provide the framework for the operating relationship between the telecommunications industry and the Federal Government in coordinating the initiation and restoration of NSEP telecommunications services, this charter contains the NCC mission and its organizational structure, describes the functions of the NCC and its general operating procedures, and specifies the funding arrangements for the NCC.

MISSION STATEMENT
The NCC is a joint industry-government operation. It involves the U.S. telecommunications industry and Federal Government organizations that are involved in responding to the Federal Government's NS/EP telecommunications service requirements and support planning for a more endurable national and international telecommunications system to satisfy those requirements.

The mission of the National Coordinating Center is to assist in the initiation, coordination, restoration and reconstitution of NS/EP telecommunications services or facilities. The NCC will perform or contribute to the performance of the telecommunications functions enumerated in Functions of the NCC.

SCOPE OF OPERATIONS
The NCC is the mechanism by which the Federal Government and the telecommunications industry jointly respond to NS/EP telecommunications service requirements. It provides for the rapid exchange of information and expedites NS/EP telecommunications responses. While the primary focus of the NCC is the NS/EP telecommunication service requirements of the Federal Government, the NCC also monitors the status of all essential telecommunication facilities including public switched networks.

The NCC has the capability to support responses to a broad spectrum of emergency or crisis situations. In such situations, the extent of its authority is governed by the nature of the emergency and specific legal conditions as follows:

• After Section 706 of the Communications Act of 1934 is invoked-the NCC carries out directives consistent with Federal authority.
• During a Presidentially declared disaster or emergency (Public Law 93-288, 42 U.S.C. 5121 et. seq., the Disaster Relief Act, as amended) short of Section 706-the NCC coordinates consistent with Federal Government authority.
• During any emergency or crisis short of Presidential declaration (as defined in DCA circular 310-130-1 Chapter II, paragraph 2) the NCC coordinates consistent with Federal Government authority.
  

Only after the invocation of Section 706 will the Executive branch — through governmental representatives — direct actions on the part of the industry representatives to respond to government NS/EP telecommunications service requirements. In all other situations, the NCS will consult with the industry representatives to develop rapid/emergency response plans and to coordinate responses to to NS/EP telecommunications service requirements. The NCC becomes actively involved when one of the following operational situations occurs:

• Telecommunications industry representatives request assistance or coordination in NS/EP situations from the NCC.
• The affected Federal Government organization declares that existing procedures will not result in sufficient NS/EP service.
• The scope of the NS/EP service or support requirements involves coordination across several states, regions, companies or organizations.

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