Public Safety Groups Say Reimbursement Problems Threaten 800 MHz Rebanding
Six public safety groups told the FCC in a filing many of their members are running into a dead end as they seek reimbursement from Sprint Nextel for planning needed for 800 MHz rebanding. The groups warned that the problem “threatens to stall the entire rebanding process” set in motion by the FCC’s 800 MHz rebanding order approved in 2004. Signing the letter were the Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials, the International Assn. of Chiefs of Police, the International Assn. of Fire Chiefs and 3 other national police groups.
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“We worked hard for several years to get the rebanding in motion and get the FCC to agree to do it,” Harlan McEwen, who represents 4 of the groups signing the letter, told us Fri. “It was fraught with a lot of delays and a lot of contention. The interference problem hasn’t gone away. It’s important to get this [rebanding] done.” McEwen said he knew rebanding wouldn’t be easy, but public safety officials were nonetheless surprised an issue emerged that could derail the process. “Some problems were to be expected. This is not an easy thing,” he said. “But all of a sudden we've found out that there were a lot of problems creeping up all over the place, and resolution wasn’t forthcoming.”
“Our concern is that for many public safety agencies the key element will be to the planning needed to enter into agreement to do the rebanding,” said Robert Gurss of APCO said. “The process isn’t working very well… In some ways planning is the most important stage. If you don’t plan it right, doing the conversion isn’t going to work.” Gurss and McEwen said they recently met with the 800 MHz Transition Administrator but have yet to update the FCC on this emerging issue.
“We are writing to express our grave concern regarding the status of the 800 MHz rebanding process,” the public safety groups said in a letter. “Rebanding must proceed as quickly as possible to eliminate the potential for life-threatening interference. However, public safety agencies must also have the funding and time needed to plan for rebanding in a manner that will not disrupt critical emergency communications systems or impose costs on state and local governments.”
In order to pay planning costs, agencies have to work out with Sprint a “request for planning funding agreement,” the letter said. “Such agreements must contain estimates of the expected planning expenses, with a ’true-up’ process to account for actual costs once planning is completed. We understand that, to date, only 2 such agreements have been approved.”
A Sprint spokeswoman said the carrier remains committed to completing the 800 MHz rebanding and is adding staff in the area as needed. “We're absolutely committed to seeing this done,” she said. “We have to date worked out agreements with more than 500 licensees. That demonstrates our progress.” The spokeswoman added that the complexity of the process and the “fact that the processes are still evolving” has understandably created frustration.