Public-safety hearing includes a witness against Rockfeller’s plan — testimony preview

Joseph Hanna, former president of APCO, will testify against the D Block reallocation plan proposed by Rockefeller: “While I agree with the views of my fellow panelists on most issues, unlike them, I don’t believe that first responders need be the licensees of all the spectrum they may need to use. Working through one of the most ambitious schedules imposed by the Obama Administration, the FCC was charged with development of a National Broadband Plan. One key element of the National Broadband Plan was the proposal for the deployment of a nationwide, interoperable dedicated public safety wireless broadband network. The proposal was made possible through tens of thousands of person-hours of intensive research, interviews, and a thorough understanding of technical requirements needed to implement this network perfectly, I believe that the National Broadband Plan fundamentally ‘got it right.’ In addition to the proposal’s recognition of the need for funding, the cornerstone of the proposal is a dedicated public safety network utilizing the 10 megahertz of spectrum allocated to public safety by Congress in 1997. Recognizing that a September 11 or Hurricane Katrina situation could tax the 10 megahertz allocation, the National Broadband Plan proposed to allow public safety to utilize the capacity of commercial wireless carriers on a priority basis.”

Al Gillespie, chief of the North Las Vegas Fire Department, to stress importance of federal funding for the network: “Funding is important for the build-out of a public safety broadband network. State and local government budgets are challenged. The broadband network needed by public safety cannot be built without federal funding support. S. 28 [Rockefeller’s bill] recognizes this fact and offers a solution. And, this network, much like current 700 and 800 MHz Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems, must also be accessible to federal public safety users nationwide as well as ‘second responders,’ such as utilities and highway agencies. Both a Construction Fund and a Maintenance and Operation Fund will be created and authorized to a maximum of $11 billion for both funds. These funds will provide matching grant programs at the U.S. Department of Commerce to build the network and at the FCC to operate and maintain the network. The bill will fund the Construction Fund by auctioning, at a minimum, 25 megahertz of contiguous spectrum at frequencies located between 1675 MHz and 1710 MHz.”

Delaware Gov. Jack Markell to describe shortcomings in his state’s public safety network: “Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, Delaware has worked diligently to address interoperability by installing a statewide 800 MHz narrowband radio system that is used by all Public Safety Agencies within the State. In doing so, Delaware became one of the first states to operate a truly interoperable Public Safety communications system. Unfortunately, due to narrow bandwidth, this system does not have the capability to provide for the exchange of robust broadband data … The chance to allocate the 700 MHz D block spectrum to public safety represents an unparalleled opportunity to develop a robust, modern and reliable nationwide interoperable broadband network.”