OCC 2003-13
OCC BULLETIN	

Subject:      Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) Program
Description:  FBIIC Policy on Sponsorship of TSP for Private Sector 
              Entities

Date: March 27, 2003
 
TO:  Chief Executive Officers of National Banks, Federal Branches 
     and Agencies, Service Providers, Software Vendors, Department 
     and Division Heads, and All Examining Personnel


Attached is the Financial and Banking Information Infrastructure 
Committee (FBIIC) policy for the sponsorship of critical private 
sector entities’ access to the Telecommunication Service Priority 
(TSP) Program administered by the National Communications System 
(NCS).  This document explains the circumstances under which 
qualifying institutions may seek federal sponsorship for the TSP 
Program.  

NCS was established in 1963 to provide better communications support 
to critical government functions during emergencies.  The NCS’s TSP 
program assigns qualifying institutions priority treatment for the 
restoration or provisioning of telecommunication services in 
emergencies.  Private-sector use of TSP must be sponsored by an 
authorized federal agency.  The agency must first determine that 
the private-sector entity is considered critical to the performance 
of national security or emergency preparedness (NS/EP) functions.  
For financial institutions, an NS/EP finding can be supported if 
the functions performed by the institutions are considered necessary 
to maintain the national economic posture during any national or 
regional emergency.

The attached FBIIC policy explains the TSP program in more detail 
and sets out the criteria to be used by FBIIC agencies to determine 
whether a private-sector entity, supervised by an FBIIC member 
agency, qualifies for federal sponsorship.  The Office of the 
Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is working with the Federal 
Reserve Board (FRB) to use their established procedures for the 
sponsorship of qualified institutions.  OCC-supervised entities 
should contact the FRB directly to request sponsorship.  The request 
may be by phone or in writing and should be directed to:

Assistant Director
Information Technology
Division of Reserve Bank Operations and Payment Systems
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Washington, DC 20551  
Telephone: (202) 452-3646
Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf (TDD) only: (202) 263-4869


Based on its understanding of the TSP program and its applicable 
standards, the OCC believes that only some national banks or 
technology service providers supervised by the OCC will qualify for 
TSP sponsorship.  However, consideration will be given to all 
requests for sponsorship from any such entity that demonstrates that 
it can make a case for qualification under one or more of the 
criteria set out in the FBIIC or FRB policies on TSP sponsorship.  

For your reference, both policies are attached.  The FBIIC policy 
is available electronically at [http://www.fbiic.gov/policies.htm].  
The FRB policy can also be found at 
[http://www.federalreserve.gov/BoardDocs/Press/other/2002/
20021203/default.htm].

Any questions regarding this issuance should be directed to Aida 
Plaza Carter, director for Bank Information Technology Operations 
at (202) 874-4740, or via e-mail to APlaza.Carter@occ.treas.gov.




Ralph E. Sharpe
Deputy Comptroller for Technology


Attachments:

·  FBIIC Sponsorship of Priority Telecommunications Access for 
   Private Sector Entities through the National Communications 
   Systems Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) Program— 
   [http://www.fbiic.gov/policies.htm]

·  FRB Sponsorship for Priority Telecommunication Services of 
   Organizations That Are Important to National Security /Emergency 
   Preparedness—
   [http://www.federalreserve.gov/BoardDocs/Press/other/2002/
    20021203/default.htm]