Recently enacted spectrum legislation is aimed at making sure, for...

future,” Verizon Vice President Donald Brittingham said on a webinar Friday sponsored by NATOA. Speakers offered an early review of the spectrum provisions, two weeks after they were enacted by Congress as part of the payroll tax extension. The legislation moves first responders away from “legacy, niche-types of technologies and frequency bands that are not compatible” which they had to rely on in the past, Brittingham said. It should mean more use of technologies already available in the commercial sphere, from machine-to-machine communications to cloud computing, he said. “Connecting public safety to commercial technology and making sure that they have the ability to move with the marketplace as technology evolves is in my view one of the most critical things about this framework.” The $7 billion dedicated to building a network wouldn’t “go very far if public safety were forced to do this one on its own” and public-private partnerships will be critical, he said. “Interconnecting this public safety network with commercial networks we think is a key part of making sure that everybody around the country, all first responders, can get the best access.” Verizon wants to work with first responders to develop commercial devices that will meet their unique needs, Brittingham said. “We know there are very specialized needs that first responders have that can’t be met with a smartphone or an iPad.” Greg Rohde, executive director of the NG911 Institute, said the $115 million dedicated to next-generation 911 in the legislation will be helpful. While less than some lawmakers sought, that amount is “still very significant,” he said. “It remains to be seen how exactly it will be distributed.” It’s “going to require some level of coordination of state call centers” and grants will likely be distributed on a statewide basis, Rohde said. The legislation also only allows funding for applicants that certify that the state where they're located does not spend 911 fees collected from customers on something other than 911, he said. “There’s lots of questions about exactly how is that defined, how is that going to be enforced, but the requirement nonetheless does exist. Congress’s clear intention is that money should not be available to states that are diverting 911 funds.” It is also significant that the act requires the GAO to take another look at state diversion of 911 funds, he said.