GETS, WPS and TSP Emergency Communication Services

GETS, WPS, and TSP Emergency Communication Services

The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Emergency Communications Division (ECD) manages programs to ensure the public safety, emergency preparedness, and communications community has access to priority telecommunications and restoration services.

The office manages the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS), Wireless Priority Services (WPS), and Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP).

These services should be incorporated into your emergency preparedness planning as each offers communications services that may prove critical during an emergency situation.  GETS and WPS provide your emergency managers with priority access to a landline and wireless communication networks during an emergency.  TSP allows your communications department to request priority repair service to the network connections that service your phone systems.

Access to these priority communication programs requires registration and pre-approval so must be done before they are needed in an emergency situation.

 

GETS – Government Emergency Telecommunications Service

This priority service enables users to place a phone call with end-to-end priority on the landline network. Using the GETS system to place calls historically offers users more than a 95 percentile call completion rate during periods of network congestion. DHS currently offers this service to over 310,000 users. For more information about GETS, visit the GETS program page.

 

WPS  – Wireless Priority Service

WPS is the wireless complement to GETS, providing users with priority communication over the wireless networks, and offering users more than a 90 percentile call completion rate during higher call volumes. DHS currently offers this service to over 118,000 users. For more information about WPS, visit the WPS program page.

 

TSP – Telecommunications Service Priority

TSP is a program that authorizes NS/EP organizations to receive priority repair and installation of vital voice and data circuits or other telecommunications services. TSP enables telecommunications carriers to prioritize the restoration, recovery, and reconstitution of critical circuits and voice capabilities in the event of a disaster. For more information about TSP, visit the TSP program page.