Witnesses at an April 12 House hearing addressing whether to reallocate a 10 megahertz swath of 700 MHz spectrum known as the D block to public safety stuck to their positions, advocating for or against the idea according to the organizations they represented.

Most public safety advocates have said they need full control over the D block in order to build out a national interoperable broadband network. The Obama administration now supports public safety control over the D block, despite earlier FCC analysis finding that public safety's existing broadband license is sufficient and that failure to hold an auction would make network unattainably expensive for many public safety agencies.  

Turning over the D block to public safety has received a mixed reception in Congress, with members of the House Homeland Security Committee lining up to support it, but members of the House Energy and Commerce proving cooler to the idea. It is the latter committee--specifically the communications and technology subcommittee--that held the April 12 hearing and that has jurisdiction over a bill (H.R. 607) introduced Feb. 28 by Homeland Security Chairman Peter King (R-N.Y.) that would reallocate the D block to public safety.

Slade Gorton, a member of the 9/11 Commission, a former senator, testified on behalf of the Connect Public Safety Now Coalition.

"You are not, or I think for several Congresses to come, going to start a major new federal program of subsidization for this particular purpose," Gorton testified. "The question is are you going to give [the D block] away, are you going to come up with a huge new federal program, are you going to subsidize it, and I don't think you are," he said.

The Connect Public Safety Now Coalition includes among its members a bevy of wireless companies including Sprint and T-Mobile, neither of which participated in the Federal Communication Commission's last auction in 2008 of 700 MHz spectrum. But, since Sprint's major bet on WiMax appears less certain now, some industry insiders have speculated that Sprint in particular could be interested in acquiring a license to 700 MHz spectrum.

During the hearing, Charles Dowd, commanding officer of the New York Police Department communications division, challenged Gorton, stating that public safety wants the D block "because we know we need it to protect the people of this country."

"The Senator is a man of high integrity and I know that his position is a sincere one. But quite frankly, we question the credentials of this coalition," Dowd said.

Asked to respond, Gorton said "Of course, if your position is that you want to get something free and get it subsidized, you're all going to join in, that's an easy position to take."

For more:
- go to the hearing webpage (prepared testimonies and webcast available)

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