Oklahoma, Nevada Push for Public Safety Network Waivers

Officials from Oklahoma and Nevada asked the Federal Communications Commission to rule soon on their longstanding waiver requests to use 700 MHz broadband spectrum for public-safety LTE networks.

Funding for each system could be pulled if the FCC does not grant approval during the next month. In Oklahoma, the state is prepared to allocate $150 million for the deployment of a dedicated LTE network for first responders and has selected Alcatel-Lucent as its primary vendor for the project. However, this funding is “at risk” if the FCC does not confirm that Oklahoma can use the 700 MHz spectrum, according to Alex Pettit, the state's chief information officer. Nevada’s 700 MHz waiver request is in a similar situation — it was filed almost two years and also faces a funding deadline, according to state officials.