Washington, D.C. - In 2009, spectrum already allocated for public safety use in the 700 MHz band will finally become available across the nation. However, this 24 MHz of spectrum, standing alone, is insufficient to meet public safety’s future requirements. APCO International has long-urged that an additional spectrum allocation is needed in the 700 MHz band, especially for wide-area broadband communications.
Therefore, APCO International supports reallocating 30 MHz of spectrum from the 700 MHz band that is currently slated for auction. Rather than auctioning the spectrum, a more viable approach would be to assign the 30 MHz to a government-created entity that, through public/private partnerships, would construct and operate a nationwide broadband network to address public safety communications requirements.
An auction would forever place control of the spectrum in the hands of commercial enterprises that do not have public safety as their principal, overriding objective. In contrast, assigning the spectrum to a government- created entity with public/private partnerships would ensure that a broadband network developed for the spectrum, while used in part for commercial purposes, would be built and maintained to public safety specifications, including coverage, reliability, survivability, functionality, and on-demand access. Critical first responder communications should not be dependent upon the business plans, successes, or failures of commercial providers.
APCO International intends to join with allied public safety organizations and others to advocate a reallocation of the 30 MHz, and to further develop proposals for a public/private partnership to construct and operate a broadband network using that 30 MHz of spectrum. The “Public Safety Broadband Trust,” proposed by Cyren Call Communications, may be a viable framework for that effort. Discussions initiated at the APCO International 72nd Annual Conference and Exposition, held this week in Orlando, Fla., have shown that there may be reasonable options to overcome the financial requirements identified in the Budget Deficit Reduction Act.
About APCO International
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International is the world’s oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to the enhancement of public safety communications. APCO International serves the professional needs of its 15,000 members worldwide by creating a platform for setting professional standards, addressing professional issues and providing education, products and services for people who manage, operate, maintain and supply the communications systems used by police, fire and emergency medical dispatch agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.apcointl.org.