WASHINGTON-The public-safety members of the Consensus Plan coalition to solve the 800 MHz interference problem upped the ante on Thursday by delivering a letter to the White House and promoting a segment on Saturday’s “America’s Most Wanted.”
“Two years is too long, Mr. President, for the nation’s emergency responders to wait for governmental leadership in eliminating this problem. The Consensus Plan offers the Federal Communications Commission a complete solution to commercial/public-safety interference at no cost to the taxpayers. We stand united with public-safety professionals around the country in asking for your support in this matter. The time is now for decisive FCC action supporting our emergency responders and assuring them the reliable mobile communications necessary to do their jobs and protect our homeland, and we ask for your support in urging the commission to bring this proceeding to a conclusion,” wrote Vincent Stile, president of the Association of Public-safety Communications Officials, Chief Joseph Polisar, president of the International Association of the Chiefs of Police, Sheriff Wayne V. Gay, president of the National Sheriffs’ Association, and Chief L. Ernie Mitchell, president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
The letter was delivered to the White House and the FCC on Wednesday and released at a press conference on Thursday.
“The growing problem of public-safety mobile communications being interfered with by commercial wireless systems places our nation’s emergency first responders and the American public at grave risk,” reads the letter. “This dangerous situation requires your immediate attention.”
At the press conference, Harlin McEwen, retired chief of police for the city of Ithaca, New York, and chairman of the technology committee of the International Association of the Chiefs of Police, said that law-enforcement advocate John Walsh had taken an interest in the issue and that a segment for Walsh’s TV show, “America’s Most Wanted” was scheduled to air on Saturday. Later it was learned that FCC Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy gave a long interview for the segment.
The FCC is stalling a decision because it is letting Nextel Communications Inc.’s opponents bring up non-relevant issues, according to various participants in the press conference.
It is unclear whether this stepped-up lobbying effort will have any impact on when the FCC will come to a decision on how to solve the interference issue. Lauren Kravitz Patrich, spokeswoman for the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, attended the press conference.
“I am disappointed that they are painting this as purely a battle of corporate interests. It is much more complex,” said Patrich. “It is the subject of debate and discussion every day.”
The Balanced Approach Plan advocates were ready to react standing in the hall outside of the public-safety press conference to pass out its own press release.
“When a car’s headlight goes out, it’s time to replace that headlight. But, the Consensus Plan sees a broken headlight and wants to replace the whole car-with a more expensive model that won’t be delivered for over three years and won’t run properly when it gets here. Public safety shouldn’t have to wait that long and deserves better than that,” said Jill Lyon, of the United Telecom Council. UTC, which represents utilities, and the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association are the main entities behind the Balanced Approach Plan.
The Consensus Plan would split the 800 MHz band into two parts-one for cellularized systems and one for non-cellularized systems. The most controversial aspect of the plan is that Nextel would receive 10 megahertz of spectrum in the 1.9 GHz band (1910-1915/1990-1995 MHz). To sweeten the pot, Nextel has agreed to pay $850 million to relocate incumbents in the 800 MHz band.
The Balanced Approach proposal calls for timely resolution of current interference at the expense of the interferor, coupled with technical rules, notification and coordination procedures to prevent new interference.
