FIGHTING TO MAINTAIN LOCAL CONTROL OF VITAL 4.9 GHz PUBLIC-SAFETY SPECTRUM
“As a former first responder, I understand the vital role the 4.9 GHz public-safety spectrum band plays in emergency communications. This critical band must be protected for local public-safety use and local public-safety agencies must remain free to make their own decisions about their communications needs.”
Chief Kenneth Corey,
Chairman
THE CHALLENGE
The 4.9 GHz band was designated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) more than 20 years ago to support public-safety entities in mission-critical communications, which protect life, health, and property. Currently home to more than 3,500 local licensees, the band has attracted significant investment of scarce public-safety resources, enabling a wide range of advanced, locally controlled applications. A proposal pending before the FCC would radically restructure the band by moving it to FirstNet, which has an exclusive agreement with AT&T. If adopted, local public-safety choice and control of this critical spectrum resource would be eliminated.
THE
OPPORTUNITY
The Coalition for Emergency Response and Critical Infrastructure (CERCI), a broad-based coalition of public-safety, critical infrastructure industry (CII), and telecommunications entities, is working to protect local control of vital 4.9 GHz spectrum used by public-safety organizations across the country. The coalition was established to support a core principle of the January 2023 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) order ensuring state and local public-safety agencies remain the primary license holders of the 4.9 band and to encourage the FCC to limit non-public-safety use of the band to compatible operations by CII entities such as utilities, energy, and transportation agencies. Further, the CERCI maintains that incumbent public-safety licensees should approve all spectrum leases that could impact their licenses.
OUR
PRINCIPLES
MAINTAINING STRONG AND SECURE STATE AND LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY NETWORKS
The vital 4.9 GHz public-safety band must be maintained for state and local public-safety use. The band should not be absorbed into a network that is owned and operated by a commercial carrier.
SERVING EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
The 4.9 GHz band should be confined to public-safety use and other critical infrastructure uses like utilities, energy and transportation, not commercial uses.
PUTTING LOCAL VOICES FIRST
Public-safety agencies must be free to make their own decisions about their communications needs. They must also have a voice in how the 4.9 GHz band is utilized.
MEMBERS
