A Face-Off Over FCC Spectrum Sale

Ever since the Sept. 11 attacks exposed the communications difficulty that police, fire and other personnel had in a crisis, government and public safety officials have wrestled with how to rebuild the nation's emergency networks. Nine years later, that effort has reached a showdown between the Federal Communications Commission, which is seeking to auction off a block of wireless broadband spectrum to the private sector, and public safety officials, who say that the additional space on the public airwaves should be used instead for a dedicated emergency broadband network.

With commercial wireless companies preparing to build the next generation of wireless communication networks, the resolution of the debate will determine whether public safety officials will be able to use the latest technology in emergencies. The two sides will face off on Thursday at a hearing before the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, which is considering legislation to pay for a public safety network.