Cyren Call Says 12 MHz Not Enough for Public Safety Network
Cyren Call needs more than 12 MHz of spectrum to set up a robust wireless broadband public safety network, it told the FCC. Cyren, which wants a 30 MHz network, said 12 MHz, to be carved out of 24 MHz scheduled for public safety after the DTV transition, simply isn’t enough. No plan using so little spectrum makes investment sense, it said. A Dec. FCC NPRM asked how the agency should change the rules for the 24 MHz of 700 MHz spectrum public safety gets after transition (CD Dec 21 p7).
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A 12 MHz network is bound to fail, Cyren Call said. “First, there are only two possible sources for financing the network,” the firm said: “Funds must come either from the government itself or from private investors. There is no suggestion in the… NPRM or elsewhere that the Federal Government intends to underwrite the approximately $20 billion cost of network deployment.”
Private financing won’t be available if only 12 MHz of spectrum is assigned, Cyren Call said: “There would be no available ‘headroom’ on which to serve the approximately 30 million commercial subscribers needed at network maturity to justify investing in the network’s initial construction and its ongoing operation. An allocation of 12 MHz, built to public safety’s technical specifications and coverage requirements, would result in a network cost that could never be recovered.”
Safety groups agreed the 12 MHz is insufficient. With just 12 MHz for safety, chances are slim of getting a public/private partnership to pay for a network, Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials said. “In much of the nation, 12 MHz is likely to be woefully short of what public safety agencies will require to support their own operations on a nearly constant basis,” APCO said: “There will be little or no ‘excess capacity’ to lease to nonpublic safety users in those areas.” APCO called the uncertainty of public/private partnerships “a fundamental flaw” in the FCC proposal.
Cyren Call’s demand for 30 MHz was echoed by the Spectrum Coalition for Public Safety. “As we have presented previously before the FCC, 30 MHz of spectrum for wide-area, broadband data is needed,” the group said: “As this proposal represents only 12 MHz for broadband use, it is inadequate to satisfy the entire need for public safety, especially when including the needs of Federal agencies. The FCC and the Congress must address this unmet need.”
But carriers led by CTIA questioned whether public safety needs more 700 MHz spectrum than the 24 MHz it’s to get. “By adopting a national strategy and using modern technologies, public safety can deploy a nationwide, interoperable broadband network with sufficient capacity in 12 MHz of the existing 24 MHz allocation in the 700 MHz band,” CTIA said: “The current public safety allocation in the 700 MHz band will, by itself, double the amount of spectrum that was available to state and local public safety agencies a decade ago.”
Safety should be more efficient with spectrum it already has, CTIA said, citing N.Y.C., whose citywide interoperable network uses 10 MHz of spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band. “After the DTV transition, public safety will have 49.7 MHz of spectrum (not including the 50 MHz allocation in the 4.9 GHz band) to use for voice and data to serve approximately 3 million first responders,” CTIA said: “In comparison, three of the largest wireless carriers, on average, use the same amount of spectrum but provide voice and broadband to over 50 million customers each.” MetroPCS agreed. “In Detroit and Dallas, MetroPCS is providing service with only 10 MHz of spectrum,” the carrier said: “Nonetheless, MetroPCS has managed to implement state-of-the-art broadband networks that provide both voice and data services and are enjoying rapid customer acceptance.”
About 100 MHz of spectrum has been allocated to state and local public safety agencies to serve only 3 million first responders, AT&T said. “Recent studies demonstrate that this allocation should be more than sufficient to satisfy all public safety communications needs,” AT&T said. “Spectrum is a limited resource and should not be allocated to address a perceived public safety need if the utilization of new, more efficient technologies would be sufficient to satisfy the need and spectrum is already available to meet this need.”
Public safety should make do with 24 MHz, the Council for Citizens Against Govt. Waste said: “Telecommunications spectrum is an asset owned by the taxpayers. The DTV Act correctly requires that it be auctioned off, not given away. Now is the time for first responders to get their 24 MHz and for taxpayers to receive billions of dollars a spectrum auction would bring in to the U.S. Treasury.”