FCC order for FirstNet published in the Federal Register
The FCC this week published in the Federal Register an order outlining the agency’s plan to license the 700 MHz public-safety broadband spectrum to the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) board, as stipulated by law when Congress passed legislation to establish a nationwide LTE network for first responders.
FCC commissioners approved the action during a Sept. 7 meeting, but its publication in the Federal Register on Monday starts the effective timeline for transitioning the spectrum to FirstNet. When that occurs, the Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST) — the current licensee for 10 MHz of public-safety broadband spectrum in the 700 MHz band — will immediately begin taking actions to dissolve as an entity.
“We’ve reviewed the order, and our interpretation is that we will hold the license until at least Nov. 14,” PSST Chairman Harlin McEwen said during an interview with Urgent Communications. “At that time, we expect the FCC to take additional action to, in some way, delete or terminate our license and issue the license to FirstNet.”
McEwen said the PSST board already has decided to cease operations after it no longer holds the license, but that process likely won’t be completed until early in 2013.