Sen Rockefeller praises public safety network in Obama jobs bill

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, praised the inclusion of a public safety broadband network in President Barack Obama's jobs bill.

“I am pleased to see that President Obama's jobs plan includes proposals to invest in the wireless economy and provide first responders with the communications tools they need to do their jobs safely and effectively,” Chairman Rockefeller said. “Investment in this sector can create hundreds of thousands of jobs, help first responders and generate billions of dollars for deficit reduction. It's a win-win-win proposal. And I look forward to working with my colleagues to make this happen.” Obama's jobs bill would allocate the "D block" of spectrum for the creation of a nationwide public safety network. The network would allow first-responders from different jurisdictions to communicate during emergencies and would allow them to transmit video and data in real-time.