FCC Seeks Comment on Public Safety Broadband Deployments

On August 14, 2009, the Federal Communications Commission's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) sought comment on petitions for waiver filed by a number of states and localities seeking to deploy public safety systems in the 700 MHz broadband spectrum. On December 15, 2009, the Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST) filed a written ex parte in response, including a report compiled by the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) Broadband Task Force (BBTF). The PSST stated that it was submitting these recommendations "to the FCC for the minimum requirements necessary to allow localities and regions to build out local systems as part of the 700 MHz nationwide, interoperable wireless broadband public safety network."

Now the FCC seeks comment on both the recommendations of the PSST and the BBTF Report, and in particular those elements of the BBTF Report that address the technical aspects of the operation and interoperation of the regional networks the BBTF contemplates.

In particular, the FCC seeks comment from those entities that have filed waiver requests with the FCC seeking to deploy in the 700 MHz broadband spectrum. Should the Commission condition any waiver disposition on adherence to the standards recommended by the BBTF and the PSST? Are these recommendations sufficient to ensure later compatibility with a nationwide interoperable broadband network for public safety? Does the BBTF Report provide adequate architectural details, specificity, consistency and precision to serve as the basis for conditions on waivers? If not, what modifications would serve this purpose? Could these recommendations provide a basis for evolution to new technological standards? Could these recommendations serve as an appropriate foundation for the work of the proposed Emergency Response Interoperability Center (ERIC)?

Comments due April 6.