Outreach News - 1/26/2011

1. Multiple press reports have indicated that President Obama’s administration now supports reallocation of the D Block to public safety. For first responders, this is great news! However, public safety still has hurdles to overcome before success can be proclaimed. The next major step is to gain support for this change in Congress. It’s very important for folk to remember that this is a bi-partisan issue with Democrats and Republicans (both) either supporting or opposing the transfer of this spectrum to public safety. While we are certainly grateful for the President’s support, please remember when contacting your elected representatives, this is an American first responder issue, not a political talking point. Thanks to everyone who has contacted their Congressional representatives as well as the many organizations that offered endorsements. Your continued support will be needed before this spectrum can be made available to first responders. In the coming days, we will provide copies of legislation filed in the 112th Congress relative to the D Block and public safety broadband.

http://radioresourcemag.com/newsArticle.cfm?news_id=6594
http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/2011/01/Policy-and-Industry-Obama-Mobile-Broadband-98percent-Americans-Government/

2. Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia has re-introduced a bill in the Senate to reallocate the D Block to public safety and provide funding for the network. Please see the link below for additional information.

http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=88bdc7c5-6eb4-471d-88da-b2565ad04f6c&ContentType_id=77eb43da-aa94-497d-a73f-5c951ff72372&Group_id=505cc3fa-a767-40f4-8ac2-4b8326b44e94

3. FCC TAKES ACTION TO ADVANCE NATIONWIDE BROADBAND COMMUNICATIONS FOR AMERICA'S FIRST RESPONDERS. FCC Takes Significant Steps Toward Solving Problems Identified by 9/11 Commission. In the Commission’s Third Report and Order and Fourth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC adopted rules and proposed further rules to create an effective technical framework for ensuring the deployment and operation of a nationwide interoperable public safety broadband network. This is a very important Order that merits the careful review of all involved with public safety broadband. The Order is attached.

4. In Canada, Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers responsible for emergency management met today in Toronto to discuss emergency management priorities. Please see the attached for additional information.