FCC Slow to Act on Most Waivers to Build Public Safety Broadband Networks
The FCC has yet to act on nearly 30 waiver requests from local governments that hope to build out early public safety networks using 700 MHz spectrum. Among the applicants is New Orleans, where public safety communications became a major focus six years ago during and after Hurricane Katrina. Other major cities that asked for waivers but have yet to receive them are Chicago and Philadelphia. States including Florida, Pennsylvania and Oklahoma also have sought waivers from the FCC.
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The FCC approved 21 waiver petitions in 2010, as well as a petition by the state of Texas in May. Texas had pressed for action on its petition since several jurisdictions in the state had requested waivers, including Harris County, which includes Houston, public safety officials said. The FCC’s 2010 waiver order indicated a preference for state build outs. The agency sought comment on 23 additional applications last September. So far, 51 applications have been filed, including those granted by the FCC.
With Congress considering legislation that would fund a national public safety network in the 700 MHz band, the FCC has faced little pressure from public safety to act on the additional waiver requests. Many in the public safety community believe it’s wise for the FCC to delay approving more waivers due to the uncertainty of pending legislation, said one public safety official. “I'm not worried about it,” said a second sector official. The White House included funding for a public safety network, as well as a provision giving public safety the 700 MHz D-block, in its Jobs Bill (CD Sept 13 p1).
Bill Schrier, chief technology officer for the city of Seattle, said in an interview Wednesday that waiver applicants haven’t been putting much pressure on the FCC to act, as Congress considers a national network. “Another factor is, with the great recession setting in, local and state governments are fairly strapped for building out wireless data networks,” Schrier said. “They continue, of course, to build out narrow-band voice networks because those are critical to the missions of the public safety officers for state and local governments.”
Schrier chairs a weekly call with officials from the eight jurisdictions that have received funding to build out early 700 MHz broadband networks. “The main thing we're doing is tracking what’s going on with the BTOP grantees,” he said. “They're under this time constraint, they've actually got to get their systems done within the next two years. Under the law they've got to be finished -- completely built out and have their funds expended -- by August of 2013."
Few of the original 21 waiver recipients have made much headway, though seven got broadband stimulus grants to partially fund their build out, public safety officials said. Harris County is perhaps the furthest along of all waiver recipients, with five sites already being tested. The county is relying in part on a port security grant from the federal government but did not receive funding from the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. Charlotte, N.C., is also moving rapidly and hopes to have part of its system in place next year when the Democratic National Convention convenes there.
In its application for a waiver, New Orleans said it revamped its public safety communications following Katrina, installing one of the first P25 700/800 MHz communications systems in the nation (http://xrl.us/bmdd44). “The Region would like to build on this proven record of success -- which has been tested by adversity -- and extend the 700 MHz public safety communications capability to include the implementation of an interoperable broadband system available to all eligible users,” the city said. “The Commission has repeatedly noted the many potential benefits of broadband service to public safety, including: allowing police officers to exchange mug shots, fingerprints, photographic identification, and enforcement records; enabling firefighters to access floor and building plans and real-time medical information; providing high resolution photographs and real-time video monitoring of crime scenes to incident command centers.”
"The City has identified funding sources to construct and deploy a City-wide network that is capable of providing unfettered interoperability,” Chicago said in its waiver request (http://xrl.us/bmdd6q). “To take advantage of these funding sources, Chicago requests immediate grant of the instant request, to allow the City to secure expeditiously those funds that will be used to construct and deploy timely its proposed 700 MHz network.”