WASHINGTON-The United Telecom Council Thursday urged its members to tell their lawmakers that utilities need a 10-megahertz allocation of spectrum in the 700 MHz band.
“UTC’s position continues to be that true interoperability must include critical infrastructures for better emergency response and recovery and to ensure the safety of all personnel. While UTC seeks such an allocation wherever possible, the upper 700 MHz spectrum is adjacent to the next important public-safety allocation and unlike other bands, it would be a ‘clear’ allocation,” said UTC in an alert sent to members.
Included with the electronic alert was a link to a draft letter that tells why the allocation is important.
“Utilities have increasingly helped to build traditional public-safety radio systems and/or share frequencies with public-safety agencies due to a common need for reliable 24 by 7 ubiquitous service. We use the same radio equipment, and we understand public-safety communications needs because ours are very similar,” reads the draft letter. “With an allocation of spectrum in the 700 MHz band, critical infrastructure entities would be able to construct infrastructure nationwide, implementing an integrated voice and data technology platform for a communications system that would be available to all emergency responders. Utilities and other CII entities would migrate to this system over time to meet their urgent need for secure, interference-free communications for the safe and reliable delivery of essential services to the public.”
The 700 MHz band is currently being used by TV broadcasters as part of their transition to digital TV. TV broadcasters were given an extra channel (six-megahertz) of spectrum to convert to digital. After the transition, that spectrum is to be auctioned off with 24 megahertz being set aside for public safety. A guard band of six megahertz has already been auctioned off to band managers but the remainder of the spectrum has yet to be auctioned. UTC’s request would come from the commercial spectrum still available. Since Congress designated this spectrum for commercial use, it is Congress that must designate it for critical-infrastructure use.
“Without congressional intervention, the FCC cannot make this allocation,” reads the draft letter in bold.
Even after the spectrum is allocated, however, it is unclear when it will be available. The broadcasters must give back their extra spectrum back by Dec. 31, 2006 or when 85 percent of the homes in their viewing area are capable of receiving digital signals, whichever is later.
