As the Chair of the Coalition for Emergency Response and Critical Infrastructure (CERCI), I am heartened by the recent influx of filings with the FCC from state and local entities expressing their support for maintaining local control of the 4.9 GHz spectrum band. This wave of support reaffirms the critical importance of maintaining local control over this vital public-safety resource. These filings present the perspectives of state and local officials who are the actual users, creators, operators of the public-safety networks we all rely on. Policymakers should heed their voices.

Recent filings from the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, the City of Fremont in Nebraska, the City of Toledo in Ohio, the City of Lima in Ohio, and both the Milwaukee County Executive and the City of Milwaukee have voiced strong opposition to a proposal from the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance (PSSA) to transfer the band out of local hands and to the nationwide FirstNet Authority (FNA) which has an exclusive contract with AT&T. These filings highlight the diverse and essential uses of the 4.9 GHz band across the country, emphasizing the need for local control to those tasked with the safety of their communities have the tools they need to do the job.

The City of Milwaukee’s opposition is particularly noteworthy as the city prepares to host the Republican National Convention this summer. Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s letter to the FCC stresses the importance of the 4.9 GHz band for maintaining public-safety and emergency management systems. The ability to manage communications locally is crucial, especially during large-scale events where coordination and rapid response are paramount.

Similarly, the Oregon Department of Emergency Management highlighted the necessity of retaining local control over the 4.9 GHz spectrum. Their letter emphasizes the band’s role in providing network resiliency and enabling ad hoc communications during emergencies and natural disasters. This local flexibility is invaluable for ensuring coordination when traditional networks may be compromised.

The City of Fremont, Nebraska, the City of Toledo, Ohio, and the City of Lima, Ohio have also underscored the vital role of the 4.9 GHz band in supporting their public-safety operations. Their filings state that the PSSA’s proposal would undermine current public-safety licensees by forcing them to surrender unused spectrum, which could be crucial in future emergency situations. They stress that maintaining local control is essential for ensuring the band’s continued effectiveness in supporting transportation, law enforcement, firefighting, and other public-safety services.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley echoed these sentiments, highlighting the exclusive nature of the 4.9 GHz band for public-safety use and its importance in providing clear, interference-free communication channels during critical situations. The ability to use higher data rates for video streaming, data sharing, and real-time applications is vital for modern public-safety operations, and the PSSA’s proposal threatens these capabilities.

CERCI agrees that local control matters. This was the key principle of a recent filing CERCI signed along with the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the 4.9 Coalition. This coalition of coalitions filing emphasizes that the 4.9 GHz spectrum band should remain a resource for state and local agencies tasked with maintaining safe, resilient, and redundant networks. The PSSA’s proposal to grant FirstNet and AT&T control over this band would not only undermine local autonomy but also open the door to commercial use, detracting from the band’s primary mission of serving public-safety. This move is counterproductive and poses significant risks to the resilience of emergency communication networks across the country.

We urge the FCC to listen to the voices of state and local public-safety officials and reject the PSSA proposal. The broad support for maintaining local control of the 4.9 GHz band demonstrates a clear consensus on the importance of preserving the band for public-safety. We remain committed to working with our partners and advocating for policies that prioritize the needs and safety of our communities.