McCain Eyes Public Safety Spectrum, DTV Transition

[Gregg Lengling]

As expected, Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican and chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, introduced on Tuesday the "SAVE LIVES" Act that aims to assign more spectrum for public safety and emergency uses as well as addressing the ongoing transition to digital TV.

The digital TV mandate in the legislation, as explained by McCain, would establish and fund a program to subsidize equipment to ensure that no consumer television set goes "dark" due to public safety use of television spectrum. The bill also has a provision that would mandate the labeling of all analog television sets to better prepare consumers for the digital TV transition, and support a consumer education program tied to digital TV.

The bill also aims to set a date for the allocation of spectrum to public safety agencies, specifically 24 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band that Congress promised public safety agencies in 1997. "This is a promise Congress has yet to deliver to our nation's first responders. Now is the time for Congressional action before another national emergency or crisis takes place," McCain said.

The senator added, "Just providing spectrum to public safety is not enough. Without funds to purchase new equipment, this spectrum may sit fallow after being vacated by the broadcasters. This would be an unfair result to broadcasters, public safety organizations and American citizens."

[mhz40]

Please... SAVE LIVES act?  It's more like SELL THE SPECTRUM OFF THE BACKS OF BROADCASTERS ACT.
We have enough airspace allocated to emergency government, plus we have the Emergency Alert System operating at the federal, state and local levels to get the emergency message out.  If granted to public safety, fillng that bandwidth will co$t tax dollars AGAIN.  In some situatons, recently purchased hardware will be antiquated and put out to pasture.

[Gregg Lengling]

Originally posted by mhz40
Please... SAVE LIVES act?  It's more like SELL THE SPECTRUM OFF THE BACKS OF BROADCASTERS ACT.
We have enough airspace allocated to emergency government, plus we have the Emergency Alert System operating at the federal, state and local levels to get the emergency message out.  If granted to public safety, fillng that bandwidth will co$t tax dollars AGAIN.  In some situatons, recently purchased hardware will be antiquated and put out to pasture.

While I respect your right to voice your opinion on this subject, I feel you should research it completely and understand what is at issue.  As a person who spent over 20 years of his professional life supporting the Public Safety Community by selling, engineering and maintaining their radio equipment, I agree with Sen. McCain and you would be suprised how important all the additional bandwith is to PS.

[mhz40]

That's fine, I respect your opinion too...  
What is at issue is the spending of more taxpayer money to marginally improve communications.  If you have some links you suggest I should research, let em rip... but I still contend we are not dying due to a current lack of communication capability.