It's official, 758-763 and 788-793 MHz belongs to Public Safety.
Congress made history Thursday and passed legislation to allocate the D-block spectrum to Public Safety. Ten years in the making, this legislation has been an uphill battle for Public Safety officials and advocates nationwide.
The payroll tax bill also includes $7 billion in federal grants for the deployment of a nationwide LTE dedicated network. This is a victory that will affect not only first responders and their safety, but also will improve the safety of citizens nationwide, allowing the public safety personnel they depend on to communicate like never before.
The bill extends the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits, and includes language making more spectrum available to commercial wireless operators through FCC auctions (a significant revenue source). Five of the $7 billion in funds for Public Safety will come from these auction proceeds.
Will $7 billion be enough to pay for nationwide LTe deployment? Many say no, pointing to Sen. Jay Rockefeller's (D-W.Va.) proposal of $11 million as a more reasonable amount. The Senator announced in a web conference Thursday that the funding available will still have a positive impact, and will build momentum for the project, which was the ultimate goal.
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