Sprint Nextel creates public-safety advisory board

May 11, 2006 6:16 PM, By Donny Jackson

More From Rebanding

Sprint Nextel today announced the creation of a three-person public-safety advisory board that is designed to provide the wireless carrier with additional insight into the views of public-safety licensees participating in the rebanding of 800 MHz spectrum.

“What we hope to do with this is creating another communication channel between Sprint Nextel and the public-safety community,” Sprint Nextel spokesman Tim O’Regan said. “What’s important here is that they get to use their own membership, so they might feel a little more comfortable sharing critical information that can come directly to Sprint Nextel from these three gentlemen.”

Advisory board members are Stephen Browne of Denver, David Seidel of San Bernardino, Calif., and Charles Werner of Charlottesville, Va.

“I’m pleased to see that Sprint Nextel continues to recognize the vital stake that public safety has in seeing 800 MHz reconfiguration through to a successful completion,” Werner said in a statement. “As we move deeper into the reconfiguration of public-safety channels at 800 MHz, I encourage first responders to share critical information with us regarding their own systems and to reach out to us to understand how we can collaborate to get this done on time and as required by the FCC.”

O’Regan said the three-member panel will meet on a regular basis as a group and that the board members primary point of contact will be Sandy Edwards, Sprint Nextel’s vice president for spectrum.

“We believe the advisory board will ensure that we better understand the special considerations and challenges involved in retuning public safety communications systems,” O’Regan said. “We are hopeful that public-safety officials across the country will come to rely on members of the advisory board as an additional channel for sharing their thoughts and concerns as reconfiguration moves ahead, as well as for facilitating communications among themselves and Sprint Nextel.”