Over the years there have been many attempts to ensure communications interoperability for state and local emergency first responders such as police, fire, and ambulance services. But coordinating so many disparate organizations has proven consistently daunting, and no progress was made until a solution was proposed at the federal level.
That was in 2005, when the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 contained a provision allocating the recovery of 24MHz for public safety and emergency services communications. With this spectrum in hand, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) began the process of implementing a federally-coordinated solution for emergency communications interoperability, and was mandated by Congress to complete the task by February 17, 2009.
Toward that end, the FCC has adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to license a nationwide, interoperable, broadband public safety network using 12 MHz within the current 24MHz public safety allocation. The FCC has determined that 12 MHz is sufficient to establish a broadband emergency responder network.
However, several companies have now inserted themselves into the process, asking that the FCC grant them a different and larger portion of spectrum—a portion already allocated by Congress to be auctioned off for commercial use. But, under their alternative plans, this spectrum would be donated into a sort of public-private trust, but controlled by these companies, who promise to build the network and make it work for first responders, but would also use the spectrum for commercial, for-profit use.
Why are there efforts underway to slow this process down by offering an alternative plan? Congress has allocated what it believed was the necessary spectrum to accomplish the interoperability that the public needs, and the FCC concurs that the amount is sufficient and is aggressively implementing the plan. So why reopen the debate?
We can’t help but wonder if what these companies are actually doing is using the excuse of building a first responders network as an excuse to “butt in line” and preempt the auction of the larger portion of spectrum scheduled for commercial purposes. Using the excuse of public service to gain free access to valuable spectrum, in other words.
Today, speed of spectrum deployment is essential and any delay in an orderly and expeditious auction and completion of the FCC’s rule making is counterproductive. Congress should let the FCC complete the job it referred to them in 2005 and not further delay the process.