I would recommend reading the actual executive order: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/06/executive-order-assignment-national-security-and-eme

I would recommend reading the actual executive order: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/06/executive-order-assignment-national-security-and-emergency-preparedness- http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/06/execut... This looks to me just what it says on the tin: The Federal Government is to develop a plan for ensuring comms during national crises. The only part that hinted at "control" of systems is Sec 5.2(e) where the DHS is to be able to satisfy priority communications requirements through use of (not control of) commercial, Government, and privately-owned resources. So yes, the gov't could come in and use Aunt Tillie's landline phone if no other resources were available in a disaster, but that hardly equates to "control of all communications systems" and is hardly different in degree to the powers the Federal government already has in disaster response.