Several public safety groups sent a letter to all members of Cong...
Several public safety groups sent a letter to all members of Congress urging them to support the proposed Dec. 31, 2006, deadline for DTV transition. In the letter, the groups said issues like new commercial wireless services and spectrum…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
revenue have gotten a lot of attention, but perhaps the most important issue in the DTV transition is reclaiming spectrum for police, firefighters and other public safety officials. “Public safety agencies have been waiting since 1997 for this spectrum,” the letter said. Without the spectrum, “many public safety agencies will be forced to continue operating on dangerously congested radio systems, to postpone activation of fully interoperable radio networks in their regions, and to [forgo] new communications tools needed to enhance law enforcement, fire protection, emergency medical services and homeland security,” the letter said. In 1997, Congress allocated 24 MHz of spectrum for public safety in the analog broadcast spectrum. House Commerce Committee Chmn. Barton (R-Tex.) has proposed establishing a deadline for broadcasters to vacate the spectrum. He’s said a bill is coming soon and has the votes to pass. The groups urged Congress to pass the legislation this year. Groups signing the letter included the Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials, Congressional Fire Services Institute, International Assn. of Chiefs of Police, National Assn. of Counties, National League of Cities and National Sheriffs’ Assn.