Click here for additional news feeds

Call to Action: Spectrum for Public Safety Wireless Broadband

The leaders of police, fire and emergency medical service (EMS) agencies across the country have joined together to form the Public Safety Alliance (PSA) to urge Congress to pass legislation that would allocate the 700-MHz D-Block spectrum to public safety and provide sufficient funding to build a nationwide broadband network.

The PSA is a partnership with the nation's leading public safety associations, which includes the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Sheriffs' Association, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the Major County Sheriffs' Association, the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association, the National Emergency Management Association and the National Association of EMS Officials. The partnership is operated as a program of APCO International.

The allocation of the D-Block spectrum and funding to public safety is critical to building a nationwide wireless broadband network that provides the capacity needed to transmit mission critical real-time high-resolution video, voice and data. Unless Congress passes legislation this year to allocate the D-Block spectrum to public safety, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will auction the spectrum early next year for commercial services.

APCO members should...

• CALL, EMAIL, and WRITE your U.S. Senators today to strongly urge them to cosponsor S. 3756, the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act of 2010, introduced by Senator John (Jay) Rockefeller, IV (D - WV), Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. When you call your Senators' offices, be sure to ask to speak with the legislative aide that works on Homeland Security, Justice/Public? Safety and/or telecommunications issues.
• CALL, EMAIL, and WRITE your U.S. House Representative today to strongly urge them to cosponsor H.R. 5081 - Broadband for First Responders Act of 2010.

WHAT DOES THE LEGISLATION DO FOR PUBLIC SAFETY?

• S. 3756 - The Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act would allocate the D Block to public safety; direct the FCC to develop technical and operational standards to ensure nationwide interoperability and build-out (including in rural areas); direct the FCC to establish standards that allow public safety officials, when not using the network, to lease capacity on a secondary, but preemptive basis to non-public safety entities, including other governmental users and commercial users; and provide the FCC with incentive auction authority, which allows existing spectrum licensees to voluntarily relinquish their airwaves in exchange for a portion of the proceeds of the commercial auction of their spectrum. The funds from these incentive auctions, in conjunction with funds from the auction of other specified spectrum bands, and funds earned from leasing the public safety network on a secondary basis, will be used to fund the construction and maintenance of the nationwide interoperable wireless broadband public safety network.
• H.R. 5081 - Broadband for First Responders Act of 2010 would allocate 10 MHz of spectrum, known as the D Block, to public safety and direct the FCC to develop technical and operational standards to ensure nationwide interoperability.

Click here for more information.

View the video from the July 21 press conference.