There have been some recent mischaracterizations regarding the Coalition for Emergency Response and Critical Infrastructure (CERCI) and our position concerning the preservation of the 4.9 GHz band for local-public-safety users. Let’s set the record straight.

The 4.9 GHz spectrum is a critical resource for our nation’s public-safety community. Currently, public- safety agencies – including fire departments and emergency-medical-services agencies – hold more than 3,500 licenses covering most of the country. CERCI’s mission is to ensure that these agencies can continue to operate their systems without any disruption, while also promoting a regulatory framework that encourages greater innovation in the 4.9 GHz band for the benefit of all first responders and their communities.

Our members represent public-safety agencies across the country. They know what it takes to maintain effective and efficient communications and that the 4.9 GHz band is a critical resource that should not be taken away from them. Allow me to clarify our stance:

• CERCI is fully committed to protecting the 4.9 GHz spectrum for local-public-safety uses and safeguarding the rights of current licensees. Our advocacy before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been unequivocal regarding the need to preserve the 4.9 GHz spectrum for existing public-safety operations without any disruption or pressure to modify current uses or future plans.
• Protecting current and future public-safety operations means that existing license holders must have the right to approve any other uses of the spectrum that might impact their operations. Additional users would be strictly limited to non-interfering critical infrastructure industry (CII) licensees.
• CERCI is not anti-FirstNet nor is CERCI opposed to FirstNet operations in its designated 700 MHz band (“Band 14”). CERCI does not, however, support the proposal to transfer the 4.9 GHz band to FirstNet.
• CERCI is not seeking to commercialize the band. Period. Full stop.

Our goals are singularly focused on maintaining the 4.9 GHz spectrum for the current and future needs of our nation’s public-safety agencies. A group of our members – including the National Sheriff’s Association, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, and the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives – addressed this in a recent letter to the FCC.

The bottom line is that public-safety agencies must continue to have the ability to manage their own systems and their own spectrum and not be forced onto any carrier-operated network. This is the goal of CERCI – to put public-safety first when it comes to the 4.9 GHz band. Our membership continues to grow and we would welcome your support for our mission. Should you have any questions about CERCI or our mission, you can reach me at kcorey@responsecoalition.com.