FCC Agrees 700 MHz Spectrum Should Accommodate Broadband
The FCC in a report to Congress released late Wed. agreed with the Spectrum Coalition for Public Safety, representing law enforcement groups across the U.S., that the 24 MHz of 700 MHz spectrum set to go to public safety after the DTV transition should be adjusted to allow more ambitious broadband uses. But the Commission refused to support demands that public safety get an additional 6 MHz of spectrum.
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The public safety agencies argue that the size of channels is significant. The 24 MHz of spectrum is slated to be divided into channels 150 kHz and smaller, used mostly for voice and text-based data. FCC said it will “expeditiously examine and analyze whether certain channels within the current allocation of 24 MHz of public safety spectrum in the 700 MHz band could be modified to accommodate broadband communications.” But the Commission didn’t concede that public safety should get a bigger slice of the spectrum pie.
The FCC has already auctioned 24 MHz of 700 MHz spectrum for commercial use, with another 60 MHz set to go on the block after the DTV transition. The FCC’s refusal to recommend more spectrum for public safety was effectively a win for companies that want to make commercial use of the band.
The National Capital Region Interoperability Program said in a recent report that public safety officials overwhelming want to be able to wirelessly transmit digital images to patrol cars (CD Dec 20 p3) or make use of streaming video in the field during emergencies. D.C. officials have been testing public safety applications on 700 MHz under an experimental FCC license.
Among other conclusions, the FCC said emergency responders in the U.S. would “benefit from the development of an integrated, interoperable nationwide network capable of delivering broadband services throughout the country.” The benefits would include “delivery of rapid warnings and messages pertaining to criminal activity, including Amber alerts; video surveillance during emergency incidents; real-time text messaging and e-mail; delivery of high resolution digital images; and the ability to obtain location and status information of personnel and equipment in the field,” the FCC said.
The FCC report recognized that wireless carriers may have a larger role to play in support of public safety communications during emergencies. “At a minimum, public safety entities may realize many benefits from entering into partnerships with commercial providers, especially with respect to non-mission critical duties, that allow public safety to leverage technological advances and increased competition,” the report said.
A national emergency system could make use of “smart” radios as well as satellite-based communications, the report said. FCC said the emergency network should be mobile, making use of inflatable antennas, cell towers on wheels and high-altitude balloons. “Mobile transmission facilities would bring the critical flexibility component to a nationwide interoperable broadband mobile communications network, and would serve to augment the system beyond the normal coverage in a given region, or during a large-scale incident,” the report said.