Dec 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Donny Jackson & Glenn Bischoff

A week after the release of the bidder information document, O'Brien said there had been “nothing negative” in the feedback to it from the FCC, potential bidders or public safety. This response not only reinforced O'Brien's belief that some previously interested operators are willing to bid on the D Block, but he said a “couple of new opportunities have surfaced.”

“I have to be out of bed and on the truck in one minute, I have to reach the furthest point of my response district in five minutes, and I have to enter the structure upon arrival in one minute,” said one 18-year firefighter during a 700 MHz session. “I don't have the time for video, I don't have time for data transmission, and I can't think of a situation as a responding firefighter where I'd use that. … Mission-critical voice is the only thing that drives what we do to make our mission successful.”

Ben Holycross, radio systems manager for Polk County, Fla., echoed this sentiment, noting that “two-way voice radio is king” for first responders' mission-critical communications. However, he later acknowledged the value that building blueprints and other database information — accessible via a broadband wireless network — could provide to incident commanders making tactical and resource decisions.

Holycross also expressed concern about the monthly fees public-safety entities would have to pay a profit-driven commercial operator to build a network that provides the coverage and reliability that first responders want.

Indeed, a requirement that every site be hardened to public-safety standards would make the endeavor economically untenable for a commercial operator, O'Brien said. Instead, the PSST's bidder information calls for “critical sites” in the network to have eight hours of battery backup and a five- to seven-day fuel supply for generator power, as well as redundant backhaul at some sites.

Detailing the SWBN business model will be a major component of negotiations between the PSST and the D Block auction winner. In its bidder information document, the PSST noted its desire to “own” the public-safety customer; to receive some revenue for each public-safety subscriber; and to receive a fee from the D Block licensee for leasing the public-safety spectrum, which the D Block licensee can use to support its commercial offerings.

Until a network-sharing agreement is reached, the PSST has no revenue stream to support its operations. PSST Chairman Harlin McEwen said Cyren Call is trying to arrange financing that would allow the PSST to operate in the interim.

“We will borrow the money to keep [Cyren Call] operating and us operating for a year,” McEwen said. “At that time, a network-sharing agreement hopefully will be completed, and we will get some income — based on that agreement — from the D Block winner.”

Based on his discussions with potential bidders, O'Brien said he believes the PSST will be able to negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement with the D Block auction winner.

“I'm pretty optimistic that what I expect the [financial and philosophical] gaps to be can be closed — not easily, but it can be done,” O'Brien said.

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