Despite green light, first responder network could take years to develop.

• Author: Magnuson, Stew
• Position: Homeland Security News - Geographic overview

Interoperable radios--along with robust airwaves that are dedicated to firefighters and police communications--have been a longstanding goal in the public safety community.

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The freeing up of spectrum once used by TV broadcasters in the analog era known as the D-block, seemed to be the easiest solution, but turning over this valuable unseen real estate to public safety agencies has been a long road.

Congress bypassed the desire of the Federal Communications Commission and telecommunications companies, which wanted to carry consumer wireless traffic in the highly desirable D-block in exchange for promises to give public safety agencies priority access.

Congress sided with a large coalition of firefighter, police and state and local associations that wanted the D-Block reserved exclusively for public safety. That spectrum has gone largely unused since television stations switched to digital broadcasts in 2007. First responders already have exclusive radio channels, but the D-block will allow for more data throughput and enable live, streaming videos, and applications that are now common on smartphones and other consumer devices. The D-block spectrum also performs well in concrete buildings and other structures.

The FCC attempted to auction the D-block off to an entity that would build a public safety network in 2007. It would have sold its services to local and state users, but the FCC only received one bid, which it deemed too low.

Afterwards, telecommunications companies began a lobbying and public relations campaign to have the D-block sold to them for use by their wireless customers, with the promise that public safety agencies would have priority use of the radio waves in times of crisis.

The new law extending tax cuts to the end of the year put an end to that idea, when it included a rider that settled all these matters. It included a mechanism for broadcasters that have licenses for spectrum they no longer need to return it to the FCC and to receive compensation after they are auctioned off to wireless companies. Previously, license-holders had no way of selling or returning this increasingly valuable property without compensation. The Office of Management and Budget has estimated a $28 billion windfall for government coffers. Most of the proceeds from the FCC auctions will go toward paying for the tax cuts. However, some $7 billion will be held back to fund the nationwide, public safety network.

However, all...