Citing the challenges posed by severe weather, the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) is developing a Climate Resilience Industry Certification. According to WISPA, this is the first-ever certification program designed to protect vulnerable internet and cloud access from climate-related events.
The association also is creating a suite of climate resilient best practices focused on protecting the commercial and public sector marketplace.
WISPA crossed the 1,000-member threshold last year.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: “Rising global average temperature is associated with widespread changes in weather patterns. Scientific studies indicate that extreme weather events such as heat waves and large storms are likely to become more frequent or more intense with human-induced climate change.
“More frequent and intense extreme heat events can increase illnesses and deaths, especially among vulnerable populations, and damage some crops. While increased precipitation can replenish water supplies and support agriculture, intense storms can damage property, cause loss of life and population displacement, and temporarily disrupt essential services such as transportation and telecommunications.”
Industry must take a leadership role in developing practices to respond to climate change threats, said Claude Aiken, WISPA president and CEO, in a prepared statement about plans for the Climate Resilience Industry Certification. “This certification will be critical to ensuring the resilience of commercial and public sector connectivity as climate-related events increase.”
David Theodore, co-founder and CTO of Climate Resilient Internet (CRi) will chair the working group developing the climate-resilient best practices.
“CRi’s groundbreaking work on internet vulnerability highlights the relevance of wireless providers in the era of climate change,” Aiken said in a prepared statement. “This will be a differentiator in the marketplace, equipping the industry with needed skills and know-how to meet mounting resiliency challenges that lie ahead.”
WISPA’s 1000 members are composed of fixed Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) and the industry that supports fixed wireless broadband, including equipment suppliers, support services, and other components needed to run a successful business. WISPs provide broadband access to millions of residential and business customers, often in rural areas.
