Perhaps a corner has been turned on 700 MHz

Mar 24, 2009 2:04 PM, By Glenn Bischoff

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Last week at the International Wireless Communications Exposition (IWCE) in Las Vegas, Verizon Wireless’ Steve Zipperstein floated the idea of giving the 10 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band—known as the D Block—to public safety, which would pair it with 10 MHz of its own airwaves in the band, giving public safety 20 MHz of spectrum to build broadband networks for first responders. Instead of a single national licensee for the spectrum, regional or local licensees in the public-safety sector would solicit commercial operators via a bid process to construct networks—built to a national standard, to enable interoperability—that likely would try to leverage existing infrastructure, which would save enormous time and money.

It’s not a new idea, said Stacey Black, vice president of strategic programs/marketing in AT&T Mobility’s government solutions group, noting that AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless both presented the idea to the FCC last July. However, it is an idea that reflects feedback that the carriers have been getting from the public-safety sector, according to Black. Indeed, several major cities have said they now favor this new approach.

The fly in the ointment is that this approach would require legislative action from Congress, as current law requires the FCC to auction the spectrum to commercial interests, which would then work with public safety in a public/private partnership to build out the network. Black believes the climate is right for such legislative change.

“If you look at the Obama administration’s web site, there’s a statement that says they want to support public-safety communications,” said Black, who was speaking during a panel discussion on this topic at IWCE, two days after Zipperstein’s keynote speech. “I think the D Block issue has gone on long enough, and I think a lot of people [in Washington] would like to get it off their desks. So if any time is right, this is the time.”

Erika Olsen, deputy chief of the FCC’s public safety and homeland security bureau, agreed. “I don’t have a Magic 8-ball, but the Obama administration has made several comments supporting public-safety communications, so we do have a new, fresh environment.”

Black said AT&T agrees with Verizon Wireless that Congress should create a taxpayer-funded stimulus package to fund the buildout of these networks. “There isn’t a better time to ask than now,” he said.

Like Zipperstein, Black said AT&T and its lobbyists would support public safety if it decided that it wanted to pursue this idea and ask Congress for new legislation.

“We plan on standing behind public safety and its efforts to get the legislative change required to reallocate the D Block to public safety,” Black said. “But public safety has to take the lead on this.”