Regulators, first responders square off for a piece of the 'D Block'
First responder groups, regulators and members of Congress are at odds over how to create a next-generation broadband network for public safety.
Although public safety officials, lawmakers and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) agree that a next-generation national wireless communications network for public safety officials is needed, they’re battling over how to make that happen.
The fight centers around the the "D Block—the remaining 10 megahertz (MHz) of unlicensed wireless spectrum in the 700 MHz band.
Most of the country’s first-responder organizations are lobbying Congress to lift requirements that the FCC auction off the slice of spectrum, and they want lawmakers to reallocate the D Block for first-responder use.
Meanwhile, another coalition that includes the FCC wants an auction and argues that the most cost effective way to create a next-generation public-safety broadband network is through using commercial incentives.
Check out this article in The Crime Report for more detail.
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