PSST addresses FCC’s 700 MHz report and order

Aug 14, 2007 4:44 PM, - MRT

The Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST), a nonprofit consisting of nine public-safety organizations, today announced its support for the Federal Communications Commission late-Friday release of a Second Report and Order regarding the promotion of commercial access to the 700 MHz band spectrum and the development of a nationwide, interoperable, broadband network for public-safety users.

The commission announced that it has revised the band plan for the commercial and the public-safety spectrum and adopted related-service rules, including the designation of a spectrum block in the upper portions of the commercial spectrum for a commercial licensee that will be part of a public/private partnership.

The reported noted that “these revisions to the band plan for the 700 MHz band and the associated rules are appropriate in light of the significant changes in the statutory framework governing this spectrum, the continuing technological advances in the market for wireless services and the rapidly increasing need of public-safety users for broadband communications.”

“We had discussions with the [FCC] staff this morning, and we know what needs to be done and we will be moving forward. But we haven’t digested the whole thing yet,” said Harlin R. McEwen, president of the PSST. “We are trying to compare dates, and we’re in the processes of that. But the [document] generally looks pretty good.”

The PSST said that the order defines the structure and composition of the public-safety broadband licensee in a manner similar to the PSST and, where there are differences, the trust intends to make necessary modifications to its governing documents.