Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grants

The need appears increasingly urgent for timely decisions by policy makers on new infrastructure for emergency communications and spectrum allocation for public safety radios. Contents of this report: (1) Goals and Challenges: Background: Planning to Meet Goals;Challenges and Barriers to Change; (2) Policy Considerations for the Future: Governance and Grants; Decision Making and Planning Authority: Federal Involvement; State and Local Involvement; Commercial Involvement; Role of the Emergency Response Interoperability Center and the Public Safety Spectrum Trust; Cost Estimates: Wireless Networks; Network Infrastructure: Wireless Backhaul and NG9-1-1; Radios; Network Access; Financial Resources; Managing Radio Frequency Spectrum; Technology: Networks; Radios; Migration to Commercial Technologies; (3) Legislation in the 112th Congress to Improve Emergency Communications; (4) Conclusion; (5) Appendixes: Proposals for Spectrum Assignment; Congressional Efforts on Behalf of Public Safety Communications. Figures. This is a print on demand report.

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Effective emergency response is dependent on wireless commun. To minimize commun. failures during and after a crisis requires ongoing improvements in emergency commun. capacity and capability. The availability of radio frequency spectrum is considered essential to developing a modern, interoperable commun. network for public safety. Equally critical is building the radio network to use this spectrum. Contents of this report: (1) Issues Before Congress; Commun. Infrastructure; (2) Proposals for Spectrum Assignment: Broadband Plans and the D Block; Narrowband Radio Plans; FCC Policy Objectives; (3) Providing Structure; Funding; Governance; Role of the Fed. Gov¿t.; Managing Technology and Spectrum Resources. Illustrations.