FCC plan to support emergency communications relies on unproven technology

A proposal to auction 10 megahertz of broadband spectrum to commercial organizations, rather than dedicating the spectrum exclusively for public safety communications, relies on unproven technology to provide first responders priority access, a Homeland Security Department official told Congress on Tuesday.

The Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Plan, released in March, includes a proposal to auction the 10 megahertz of spectrum known as D-Block to commercial interests, providing public safety organizations priority access in emergency events with next-generation wireless broadband technologies that -- while unproven -- promise to increase the capacity and speed of mobile telephone networks.

"The technology being recommended by the FCC provides great opportunity, said Greg Shaffer, assistant secretary of the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications at DHS during testimony before the House Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response. "It's not absolutely clear what [this technology] is capable of."

Homeland Security would support FCC's plan for the auction if the technical and legal frameworks were properly evaluated and the technology's capacity and capability understood to meet public safety requirements, Schaffer added.

It is essential for any broadband plan that supports public safety to ensure the networks and associated equipment can operate in a one-to-many mode in addition to the one-to-one mode of typical commercial cellular phone systems, as well as the handset-to-handset mode in the event of network outages, Schaffer said. Networks also must provide clear voice communications with minimal transmission delay, and penetrate to and from the interior of large buildings without significant degradation of capability, he said.

"We all agree that the public safety network should not be an isolated technological island so that it can continue to evolve on a cost-effective basis as commercial technology improvements are made," Schaffer said.

Many public safety organizations oppose the proposal to auction the D-Block spectrum to commercial interests, instead supporting a bill introduced by Peter King, R-N.Y., in April that would dedicate the spectrum to public safety.

"We cannot have commercial providers deciding what is or is not an emergency and what is the priority," said Chief Jeff Johnson, president and chairman of the board of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. "Public safety transmissions have to go through at the moment -- without delay."