Group Forms to Propose Path Forward on 4.9 GHz Band
Major carriers, except for AT&T, and other groups created a group, the Coalition for Emergency Response and Critical Infrastructure (CERCI), to advocate for the future of the 4.9 GHz band, the topic of a January order and Further NPRM from…
the FCC (see 2301180062). The group opposes giving control of the band to AT&T and FirstNet, it said in a Thursday filing in docket 07-100. CERCI favors a licensing approach where “public-safety licensees would engage in lease arrangements directly with non-public-safety entities and the Band Manager would coordinate and approve the leases.” That approach is the only one “that maintains true local control of this vital public-safety band while enabling [critical infrastructure industry] opportunities,” the filing said. Coalition members are the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the National Sheriffs’ Association, the Edison Electric Institute, T-Mobile, UScellular, Verizon and the Competitive Carriers Association.