Outreach News - 7/25/11

1. Courtesy of TR Daily - SENATE HEARING SET ON INTEROPERABILITY

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee plans to hold a hearing July 27 on congressional efforts to reallocate the 700 megahertz band D block to public safety and interoperability gaps experienced by first responders. The hearing is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. in room 342 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The scheduled witnesses are Greg Schaffer, acting deputy under secretary-National Protection and Programs Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security; Michael Varney, statewide interoperability coordinator for Connecticut; Robert McAleer, director of the Maine Emergency Management Agency; and Charles Ramsey, police commissioner for Philadelphia and president of the Major Cities Chiefs Police Association.

2. Courtesy of TR Daily - HOUSE PANEL SETS LightSquared HEARING

The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee plans to hold a hearing Aug. 3 on the impact of LightSquared, Inc.’s L-band network on federal science activities. The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon in room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

3. Courtesy TR Daily - PSST, FCC IN DISPUTE OVER PLMN Ids

The Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST) and others in the public safety community and the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau are in disagreement about what entities should be eligible to receive Public Land Mobile Network Identifiers (PLMN Ids). In an ex parte filing in PS docket 06-229, the PSST reported on recent conversations PSST Chairman Harlin McEwen and an attorney for the PSST had had with Public Safety Bureau staff about the issue. “Mr. McEwen reported that he had been informed that the State of Texas (which has been granted an early broadband deployment waiver by the PSHSB and has entered into a long-term de facto lease with the PSST) applied for a PLMN ID assignment but was denied the assignment by the ATIS IOC because it is not the license holder of the 700 MHz public safety broadband spectrum,” the ex parte filing said of a July 15 conference call. “Mr. McEwen added, however, that the test PLMN ID numbers assigned by the ATIS IOC, one of which is currently used by the Public Safety Communications Research Program, are available for use by the State of Texas and other PSST lessees. Chief McEwen then explained that the PSST was being encouraged by the Waiver Recipients to apply for a PLMN ID. The PSHSB staff said that the PSST should not do so because, in their view, it was not eligible for a PLMN ID. The staff added that they did not believe the PSST is eligible for a PLMN ID because it is not a network operator and noted the FCC’s stay of certain rules as part of the Third Report and Order in this proceeding. Mr. McEwen explained that he believes the public safety community is uniting around a single, nationwide network approach rather than a network of networks approach, but PSHSB staff indicated that they prefer a network of networks approach.”

4. CITY OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS. Granted the waiver request. (Dkt No. 02-55) ). Action by: Deputy Chief, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. Adopted: 07/25/2011 by ORDER. (DA No. 11-1234). PSHSB

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1234A1.doc

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1234A1.pdf

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1234A1.txt

5. In the news:

700 MHz Device Interoperability: http://tinyurl.com/3u5f6n7

700 MHz Public Safety Service: Being a Governmental Entity Is Just Not Enough

CBO: Senate spectrum bill would save $6.5 billion http://www.fiercegovernmentit.com/story/cbo-senate-spectrum-bill-would-save-65-billion/2011-07-21#ixzz1T94acBcx
CBO Scores Public Safety Bill Lower Than Expected http://www.utcinsight.org/content/cbo-scores-public-safety-bill-lower-expected

Proposed legislation could put white-space plans in jeopardy http://www.fiercebroadbandwireless.com/story/proposed-legislation-could-put-white-space-plans-jeopardy/2011-07-24?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal#ixzz1T92LsbpZ

Capitol Hill nears decision time on spectrum legislation http://urgentcomm.com/policy_and_law/commentary/spectrum-legislation-decision-time-20110721/