Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Public Safety: Broadband Requires Dedicated Spectrum

As Andrew Seybold wrote in his comments to the FCC, building a nationwide, interoperable broadband network will require additional spectrum to be dedicated to Public Safety.  Many voices share this sentiment, including that of the most recent Radio Resource article on broadband spectrum

Past major disaster reports have revealed weaknesses in public safety communications of responders and relief agencies.  The most recent slew of earthquakes and tsunamis (in Christchurch, New Zealand; China and Japan) are examples of proof of a need for robust communications networks for emergency services.  The immense flow of radio activity during major emergencies is more than what the current systems can handle.  In addition to mission-critical voice, mission-critical broadband is currently lacking in Public Safety. The advantages (efficient voice, photo, high-quality immediate video, and data transfer capabiilties) are obvious, but the challenge lies in figuring out the "how."

According to Radio Resource, the options are a dedicated public safety service (PSS) network like TETRA, a shared service on private networks, or a combination of the two.  Utilizing private networks comes with risks, since Public Safety is subject to strict quality, availability, reconfiguring and security standards.  The existing private networks operate under different requirements, not up to par for mission-critical communications.  A shared network solution requires prediction of capacity, and an understanding that spectrum would be cleared on demand for emergency purposes. 

PSS networks are the most promising option, but the currently allocated two 5 MHz blocks are not sufficient to meet the current and future needs of emergency responders.  Network congestion may require use of insecure spectrum, and an integrated broadband network will call for even more bandwidth.  Additional dedicated spectrum is a necessity.  President Obama has outlined $7.5 billion to help foot the bill for a public-safety broadband network in the D-block of 700 MHz spectrum.  Seven years after the initial recommendation by the 9/11 Commission, this progress has been long awaited.  Although several attempts have been made recently, Congress has not yet approved a funding plan for the broadband network. 

Spectrum planning is a process that takes years to complete proficiently, but the current need for allocation is urgent.  The question of where to take the much-needed spectrum from becomes political very easily.  As EMR's motto says, politics don't belong in public safety, but the question of whose toes to step on and where to cut back often boils down to just that: politics.  The opportunity has presented itself right now, however, for leaders and policy makers to take a stand and put first responders first, which in turn puts the health and safety of the American public first. 

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