{ "id": "R40859", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R40859", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 369405, "date": "2010-09-01", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T01:30:29.821537", "title": "Public Safety Communications and Spectrum Resources: Policy Issues for Congress ", "summary": "Effective emergency response is dependent on wireless communications. To minimize communications failures during and after a crisis requires ongoing improvements in emergency communications capacity and capability. The availability of radio frequency spectrum is considered essential to developing a modern, interoperable communications network for public safety. Also critical are (1) building the network to use this spectrum and (2) developing and deploying the radios to the new standards required for mobile broadband. Beyond recognition of these common needs and goals, opinions diverge on such issues as how much spectrum should be made available for public safety broadband communications, how communications networks should be configured, who should own them, who should build them, who should operate them, who should be allowed to use them, and how they might be paid for. \nThree bills that would increase the amount of radio frequency spectrum assigned for public safety use have been introduced. The bills would require that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) transfer a spectrum license intended for commercial use, known as the D Block, to the license-holder for adjacent frequencies already assigned to public safety, known as the Public Safety Broadband License. The Broadband for First Responders Act of 2010 (H.R. 5081, Representative King) deals primarily with reassignment of the D Block. Two Senate bills contain similar provisions for spectrum assignment and would add a number of new provisions, including using the proceeds of future spectrum auctions to fund the needed network (S. 3625, Senator Lieberman and S. 3756, Senator Rockefeller). The development of public safety radios for broadband would be expedited by companion bills H.R. 5907 (Representative Harman) and S. 3731 (Senator Warner). Public safety operations would benefit from the radio-development initiative regardless of the eventual assignment of the D Block. Congress may consider additional legislation or oversight to meet desired levels of emergency communications performance. \nAmong the actions that Congress might take, those dealing with governance and funding are often cited by public safety officials and others as the areas most in need of its consideration. Many have recommended that, for the proposed broadband network projects to go forward on a sustainable footing, funding sources need to be identified for investment and operating expenses over the long term. To ensure the resources are wisely used, some analysts point to the primacy of putting in place a well-grounded but flexible governance structure. The debate on spectrum assignment has in recent months dominated the attention of Congress and other policy makers. Meanwhile, several states and urban areas including the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, and the State of Mississippi have submitted detailed plans for building the nation\u2019s first broadband networks that might serve as a practical framework for evaluating policy options. These plans, developed according to FCC requirements, share many common features. Notable from a policy point of view are several recommendations that provide a common theme in these early submissions. These may be summarized as: (1) sufficient funding is essential; (2) networks that either cover an area designated as eligible for Urban Area Security Initiative programs, or cover a regional area\u2014that is, large and/or densely populated areas\u2014are more efficient to build, operate, and govern; (3) several critical technologies and standards, such as for radios, must be developed before the networks can be fully effective; (4) some form of governing sur-structure must be in place to assure uniformity of core operations while allowing for local customization of public safety applications; and (5) collaboration with commercial partners is important for mustering all the skills and knowledge resources needed for developing the leading-edge broadband networks that are the goals of the submitted plans.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R40859", "sha1": "96fa494b768222c0e5a6ea59bd264e43ce6405a1", "filename": "files/20100901_R40859_96fa494b768222c0e5a6ea59bd264e43ce6405a1.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R40859", "sha1": "34816e4793d1f8cb9a738aece043ec3a9e38eb2a", "filename": "files/20100901_R40859_34816e4793d1f8cb9a738aece043ec3a9e38eb2a.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc491012/", "id": "R40859_2010Jul23", "date": "2010-07-23", "retrieved": "2015-01-27T19:40:46", "title": "Public Safety Communications and Spectrum Resources: Policy Issues for Congress", "summary": "This report discusses possible actions for improving emergency communications. Congress has before it an opportunity to bring public safety communications into the 21st century by assuring that a nationwide, interoperable communications network is put in place. The tools at its disposal include homeland security policy, spectrum policy, funding programs, and leadership.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20100723_R40859_c54abaf65a788484ad59e1c6d040e4ed395b7880.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20100723_R40859_c54abaf65a788484ad59e1c6d040e4ed395b7880.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "State and local government", "name": "State and local government" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Emergency communication systems", "name": "Emergency communication systems" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Telecommunication policy", "name": "Telecommunication policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Municipal services", "name": "Municipal services" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Telecommunication", "name": "Telecommunication" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Emergency management", "name": "Emergency management" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc491484/", "id": "R40859_2010Jul15", "date": "2010-07-15", "retrieved": "2015-01-27T19:40:46", "title": "Public Safety Communications and Spectrum Resources: Policy Issues for Congress", "summary": "The availability of radio frequency spectrum is considered essential to developing a modern, interoperable communications network for public safety. Equally critical is building the radio network to use this spectrum. Opinions diverge, however, on such issues as how much spectrum should be made available for the network, who should own it, who should build it, who should operate it, who should be allowed to use it, and how it might be paid for. This report discusses potential paths forward for Congress in regards to modernizing communications. To resolve the debate and move the planning process forward, Congress may decide to pursue oversight or change existing law. Actions proposed to Congress include (1) authorizing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reassign spectrum and (2) changing requirements for the use of spectrum auction proceeds. In particular, legislation in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-171) might be modified. This law mandated the termination of analog television broadcasting and the release of those channels for other uses, including public safety.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20100715_R40859_3ba38bc1f8f4f01a0b0830234e4fe5aaf5673037.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20100715_R40859_3ba38bc1f8f4f01a0b0830234e4fe5aaf5673037.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Communications", "name": "Communications" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Telecommunication", "name": "Telecommunication" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Telecommunication systems", "name": "Telecommunication systems" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Radio frequency allocation", "name": "Radio frequency allocation" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Telecommunication policy", "name": "Telecommunication policy" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc505407/", "id": "R40859_2010Jan29", "date": "2010-01-29", "retrieved": "2015-05-29T05:37:21", "title": "Public Safety Communications and Spectrum Resources: Policy Issues for Congress", "summary": "This report discusses the availability of radio frequency spectrum that is considered essential to developing a modern, interoperable communications network for public safety. To resolve the debate and move the planning process forward, Congress may decide to pursue oversight or change existing law. Actions proposed to Congress include authorizing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reassign spectrum and changing requirements for the use of spectrum auction proceeds.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20100129_R40859_1323a939c2b1bc844dc44e7685e53e03cbe6c5bf.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20100129_R40859_1323a939c2b1bc844dc44e7685e53e03cbe6c5bf.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Telecommunication industry", "name": "Telecommunication industry" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Telecommunication policy", "name": "Telecommunication policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Telecommunication systems", "name": "Telecommunication systems" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc626906/", "id": "R40859_2009Nov10", "date": "2009-11-10", "retrieved": "2015-06-15T14:46:40", "title": "Public Safety Communications and Spectrum Resources: Policy Issues for Congress", "summary": "This report discusses pieces of legislation passed by Congress that are intended to help surmount failures in public safety radio communications such as (1) insufficient interoperability among radio systems, a problem that hampered rescue efforts on and after September 11; and (2) insufficiently robust networks, a shortcoming revealed after Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20091110_R40859_b5b27ec019fb3036fb759d49e7cb404ba502a1f5.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20091110_R40859_b5b27ec019fb3036fb759d49e7cb404ba502a1f5.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Telecommunication industry", "name": "Telecommunication industry" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Telecommunication policy", "name": "Telecommunication policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Telecommunication systems", "name": "Telecommunication systems" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc815568/", "id": "R40859_2009Oct27", "date": "2009-10-27", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Public Safety Communications and Spectrum Resources: Policy Issues for Congress", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20091027_R40859_7eb38cd14dd7fb3f480cbbf15a5c39df5248b4f2.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20091027_R40859_7eb38cd14dd7fb3f480cbbf15a5c39df5248b4f2.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc627012/", "id": "R40859_2009Oct14", "date": "2009-10-14", "retrieved": "2015-06-15T14:46:40", "title": "Public Safety Communications and Spectrum Resources: Policy Issues for Congress", "summary": "This report discusses pieces of legislation passed by Congress that are intended to help surmount failures in public safety radio communications such as insufficient interoperability among radio systems, a problem that hampered rescue efforts on and after September 11; and insufficiently robust networks, a shortcoming revealed after Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20091014_R40859_222e437dca497b2606f258c149e746e9f3da9be1.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20091014_R40859_222e437dca497b2606f258c149e746e9f3da9be1.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Telecommunication industry", "name": "Telecommunication industry" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Telecommunication policy", "name": "Telecommunication policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Telecommunication systems", "name": "Telecommunication systems" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Intelligence and National Security" ] }