State Officials Urge Congress To Reject D-Block Auction
April 14, 2010
| 3:52 PM
The National Governors Association and other state and local officials urged key members of Congress Wednesday to oppose the FCC's efforts to auction off the D-block of spectrum in the 700 megahertz band to commercial bidders and instead pass legislation that would reallocate it for public safety uses.
In its national broadband plan, the FCC has called for a nationwide wireless broadband network for public safety officials to be built using 10 megahertz of spectrum already under the control of emergency responders and adjacent to the D-block of spectrum. The proposal follows a failed effort in 2008 by the commission to auction the D-block of spectrum to a commercial bidder willing to enter into a public-private partnership with first responders.
The FCC has proposed in the broadband plan auctioning off the D-block of spectrum to a commercial bidder with no strings attached. The FCC has suggested that the commercial bidder could, but isn't required to, enter into an agreement with public safety officials.
In a letter to the leaders of the Senate Commerce and House Energy and Commerce committees, the local officials, however, say that the FCC's proposal to provide "public safety roaming and priority access on other commercial 700 megahertz networks for a fee" would not ensure that emergency first responders have the "reliable and resilient communications capabilities" they need to meet public safety needs.
"The utilization of broadband technology is crucial to the future of public safety and will enhance the ability to save lives by quickly sharing information with first responders, public institutions and private citizens," the letter said. "Allocating the D-block directly to public safety is the only way to ensure a robust, modern and reliable nationwide interoperable network."
The letter was signed by the NGA as well as the Council of State Governments, International City/County Management Association, National Association of Counties, National Conference of State Legislatures, National League of Cities, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
The NGA wrote the FCC last week urging the commission to amend its broadband plan to call for the reallocation of the D-block of spectrum for public safety use. But House Energy and Commerce Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va., has voiced support for the FCC's call for the D-block to be auctioned off to commercial bidders.
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