In a heated battle over the control of critical public safety infrastructure, advocacy groups are urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to preserve local authority over the 4.9 gigahertz (GHz) band. At the heart of the dispute lies a proposal that would grant sweeping control to a national entity affiliated with AT&T, raising concerns among public safety stakeholders.
Renewed Calls for Local Control
The Coalition for Emergency Response and Critical Infrastructure (CERCI), representing a consortium of national law enforcement associations and telecom competitors Verizon and T-Mobile, has intensified its efforts to sway the FCC against a plan put forth by the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance (PSSA). Under the PSSA’s proposal, FirstNet, an AT&T-affiliated first responder network, would wield a nationwide license for the 4.9 GHz band and assume authority to appoint a band manager.
CERCI vehemently opposes this plan, contending that it would undermine genuine local control. In a recent communication to the commission, the group stated, “Requiring local jurisdictions to subscribe to a nationwide network, operated exclusively by a commercial carrier, to access and use the 4.9 GHz band is not local control.”
Public Safety Orgs Fight FirstNet, AT&T Control Of 4.9 GHz: Clash of Visions
The FCC recently enacted changes allowing for the integration of commercial technologies like 5G into the 4.9 GHz band, provided they do not disrupt incumbent public safety operations. Concurrently, the commission solicited feedback on a leasing framework that would centralize management under a national entity, diverging from the current system of localized agreements.
