Policy & Law Commentary

A year like no other — and like every other

When I look back on 2010, there is one event that stands above all others: the introduction of legislation into Congress that would reallocate the D Block — the vital 700 MHz airwaves coveted by both the commercial sector and public safety — to first responders.

FCC notice calls for a crystal ball

FCC commissioners today launched proceedings that would explore a relatively new world of wireless communications, one in which network gear and devices are able to spot temporarily fallow spectrum and use it in a blink of an eye before clearing off the frequency in time for a dedicated user to access the airwaves.

PSIC money could provide much-needed narrowbanding help

An example of an unfunded mandate is the FCC’s narrowbanding requirement. It should be noted that the FCC provided network operators with plenty of notice, but the federal government has not provided any funding mechanism to pay for new equipment and engineering.

What I want for Christmas

Santa, if you’re listening, I’d like Congress to pass the NG-911 Preservation Act early next year. (While you’re at it, get them to add a provision that would end the practice of states raiding 911 funds for other purposes, once and for all.)

SOS for a worthy cause

The RCA’s scholarship program is self-funding, and its investments aren’t performing as they once did as a result of the economic downturn from which the country is slowly recovering.

Election results could help push for D Block

A potential problem is that many of these Capitol Hill freshmen were elected after running campaigns that promised to halt deficit spending. Getting them to support Congress providing $10 billion to $16 billion on a project could be a difficult sell.

Transparency is your friend

Today, residents are leveraging the magic of broadband communications systems and smart devices to interact with government in ways that have never been seen before. This, in turn, is forcing a level of accountability onto government agencies unlike anything they have experienced in the past.

Tribal issues provide stark reminder of rural realities

Sometimes overshadowed in the quest for high-speed connectivity for first responders, 911 centers and consumers is the fact that some parts of the U.S. still lack the fundamental ability to communicate at all.

Contraband cell-phone solution may require more than technology

The more people look at this problem, the more difficult it becomes to find a solution — and the notion that unlicensed cognitive devices operating in the 700 MHz band could be on the market in a few years just adds to the complications, because none of the existing technologies currently deal with something like that.

The need for balance

What is the proper relationship between a government agency and the industry it regulates? In the big picture, the answer is not always so cut-and-dry.

A year like no other — and like every other

FCC notice calls for a crystal ball

PSIC money could provide much-needed narrowbanding help

What I want for Christmas

SOS for a worthy cause

Election results could help push for D Block

Transparency is your friend

Tribal issues provide stark reminder of rural realities

Contraband cell-phone solution may require more than technology

The need for balance

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