A Nationwide, Broadband, Interoperable Public Safety Network

A NATIONWIDE, BROADBAND, INTEROPERABLE PUBLIC SAFETY NETWORK
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
On Monday, the FCC granted the application of the Public Safety Spectrum Trust Corporation (PSSTC) for the single nationwide license for the public safety 700 MHz broadband spectrum allocation (i.e., the Public Safety Broadband License). The PSSTC says that it is managed and controlled by public safety entities, has no commercial interests, is a non-profit organization, and is broadly representative of the public safety community. The FCC retains significant oversight of the 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership, including monitoring negotiations and adjudicating disputes arising during the negotiation or implementation of the Network Sharing Agreement (NSA) -- to be executed between the PSBL and the commercial D Block auction winner -- and ultimately approving the NSA itself. The PSBL, however, will bear a significant responsibility and play a substantial role in ensuring the success of the 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership. Among other things, the PSBL must: 1) Act as chief promoter of the broadband spectrum needs of public safety entities; 2) Negotiate the NSA with the D Block auction winner; 3) Administer access to the 700 MHz public safety broadband network; 4) Assess usage fees; 5) Approve equipment and applications used by public safety entities; 6) Oversee the relocation of 700 MHz public safety narrowband operations; 7) Review requests for early local build-outs and wideband waiver requests; 8) Manage the internal guard band between public safety broadband and narrowband operations; and 9) Manage priority access to commercial broadband spectrum in the D Block during emergencies (as defined in the NSA).
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-199A1.doc