Broadband for First Responders Act

Since well before the September 11th attacks, first responders have had a clear need for additional radio spectrum space so they can communicate more effectively. In the wake of those terrorist acts, the 9/11 Commission made it clear that providing more radio spectrum to emergency services was a priority for improving both security and safety. Gaining access to a greater range of the spectrum would allow emergency services personnel to communicate more effectively.

 

Though bills have been passed as far back as 1997 attempting to set a timetable for this transition, they had always been plagued by loopholes supported by the TV broadcasters, who fear a loss of viewership if they go completely digital before consumers have the needed equipment to utilize it. Finally, in 2006, Congress made 24 MHz of radio spectrum in the 700 MHz band available to first responders.

 

On July 31, 2007 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revised plans to auction portions of the 700 MHz band of radio spectrum in order to create a nationwide interoperable broadband network for use by public safety. The revised FCC rule bundled 10 MHz already scheduled to be auctioned with 12 of the 24 MHz designated for public safety to be auctioned to a private entity that will enter into a partnership with public safety organizations to develop a shared nationwide interoperable network for commercial and public safety users. Public safety users would have priority access to the network during major emergencies.

 

The public auction of additional radio spectrum took place in January 2008. Originally, commercial entities like Google and Verizon Wireless expressed interest in the commercial market, but the “D Block,” or the public safety portion, encountered several set-backs. Frontline Wireless, a corporation made up of wireless industry and government veterans, was expected to be the largest bidder but dropped out of the auction unexpectedly. Subsequently, the “D Block” auction has been categorized as a failure. The plan received only one anonymous bid that fell far short of the $1.33 billion reserve price set by the FCC.

 

The NVFC's top priority for D block funding is the establishment of a nationwide broadband network that volunteer departments can plug into at a relatively inexpensive rate.  Establishment of a nationwide broadband network that includes rural areas would be hugely beneficial to volunteer agencies because they wouldn't have to pay any money to build it and would potentially be able to subscribe to for a nominal fee.  Additionally, they would potentially be able to upgrade intra- and interoperability without having to purchase expensive new equipment.

 

In March 2010, the FCC proposed that portions of the radio spectrum that had previously been scheduled to be auctioned in January 2008 be put up for auction again, only this time without many of the conditions that private bidders were required to meet in the previous auction to address the needs of public safety.  The idea would still be to build out a nationwide broadband network that public safety would have access to, but public safety would have less control over what the network would look like and how priority access would be obtained.

 

H.R. 5081, introduced on April 20 by Congressman Peter King (R-NY), would allocate the D block to public safety and pre-empt the FCC plan to auction it off to a private entity.