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Tell the Senate Not to Take Radio Spectrum from Emergency Responders!

Published Date: 12.16.2011

On December 13, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011, which includes language that would allocate the D Block to public safety for the purpose of creating nationwide broadband communications network.  Unfortunately, H.R. 3630 also would require public safety to relinquish 14 MHz of radio spectrum in the 700 MHz band that is currently being used for interoperable voice communications and establishes an “administrator” to oversee the creation of the broadband network that is not sufficiently accountable to public safety.

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) strongly supports the creation of a nationwide broadband communications network for public safety but opposes the proposal in H.R. 3630 because of the giveback requirement and the administrator governance model.  H.R. 3630 is now under consideration in the Senate where the bi-partisan Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act of 2011 (S. 911), which creates a nationwide broadband communications network for public safety without the unsupportable provisions in the House bill, has already been passed out of committee. 

Contact your U.S. Senators TODAY to ask them to replace the public safety broadband communications section in H.R. 3630 with the bill language in S. 911. The NVFC makes it easy for you to take action through our Capwiz advocacy tool. Simply click here and find a draft letter that you can send to your Senators just by entering your address.

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