GEOCommand Comments on the FCC Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Implementing a Nationwide Broadband Interoperable Public Safety Network in the 700 MHz Band

The FCC must consider specific parameters to govern the Network Sharing Agreement so that the parties have sufficient guidelines in their negotiations. In addition, the FCC must include sufficient enforcement measures to assure that the public safety network will be constructed in a timely fashion and will operate effectively without disruptive interruptions.

The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council filed their comments on the FCC's Ninth Proposed Rulemakeing. They footnoted GEOCommand and other's who have previously expressed their concerns over the spectrum limitaions at 12MHz.

"12 MHz is inadequate to support public safety operations and cannot additionally accommodate commercial interests, reflecting, as APCO indicates, the proposal’s “fatal” flaw."

In response to the FCC's Ninth Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was a proposal by Frontline Wireless LLC, headed by Haynes Griffin (founder of Vanguard Cellular and a past chairman of CTIA), Janice Obuchowski (former administrator of NITA and the US Ambassador to the 2003 World Radiocommunications Conference and Reed Hundt (past chairman of the FCC). The Frontline's proposal endorses the FCC's proposal to create a nationwide broadband public safety network using 12 MHz of the 24 MHz in the 700 MHz band already dedicated to public safety.

In their comments, GEOCommand was cited several times for the proposition that 12 MHz of spectrum was not adequate for an effective broadband public safety network.