FCC's new public safety proposal receives mixed response

Ever since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the United States has been trying to create a national, interoperable network for public safety. The plan encountered many hurdles, not least when the D Block of the 700 MHz band, earmarked for a public/private safety initiative, failed to reach its reserve price at auction in 2008. Now, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) chief Julius Genachowski has announced new plans to relaunch the plan, putting up to $16 billion and more spectrum behind the proposals.

Rethink Wireless’s Caroline Gabriel writes that some public safety groups are disappointed that the plan does not go further, while the wireless carrier community remains undecided on the plan.

The FCC plans to re-auction the D Block, and will call on Congress to allocate $12 billion to $16 billion in funding over ten years to help build the network. The FCC also wants safety agencies to have access to the whole 700 MHz band, not only to the D Block.

Verizon Wireless will soon start building its LTE network in the band, and AT&T has plans to do the same from 2011. Another major existing 700 MHz user is Qualcomm, for its MediaFLO mobile TV system.

Gabriel notes that the public safety lobbies have always argued that the D Block should be allocated directly to their agencies, without the need for private investment or huge fees. DHS’s Jamie Barnett conceded that there would be “various levels of disappointment” with the latest proposals, but argued that they were the best solution available. “With the D Block and no funding, there’s no national network. But with funding and not the D Block, there is,” Barnett said, as quoted in Urgent Communications. “The most crucial to me is to make sure we have the national network, so we’re recommending the funding.”

The Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) commented in a statement: “While commercial carriers might need the spectrum for applications like Twitter and Facebook, first responders need the spectrum to protect the public and save lives. Our nation’s first responders call on Congress to immediately introduce legislation to allocate the D Block to public safety.”

The major 700 MHz carriers have not yet responded, though in the past, Verizon and AT&T have argued for the D Block to allocated to safety agencies directly on a regional basis, working with private operators where appropriate, and using LTE as the technology.

Genachowski, in a speech at the FCC, said: “The private sector simply is not going to build a nationwide, state-of-the-art, interoperable broadband network for public safety on its own dime.” He wants safety groups to have access to the whole 700 MHz band through roaming and priority access arrangements, which could give it up to 80 MHz of spectrum. This approach, added to the D Block, could lead to the creation of a national LTE network, some capacity dedicated to safety and some taken as required from commercial systems - which would necessitate the use of a single technology throughout. This could be a boost for Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson — since these two vendors are supplying 700MHz LTE equipment for both major cellcos, they would be the logical choice to provide additional kit for public safety.

Gabriel writes that T-Mobile USA, which does not own 700 MHz spectrum, has argued that the D Block should be auctioned solely for commercial use, and the proceeds used to build a network for public safety.