Groups Disagree on FirstNet Control of 4.9 GHz Band

The Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Association supported a proposal to give the FirstNet Authority and AT&T effective control of the 4.9 GHz band, in a filing this week in FCC docket 07-100. “This will prevent an unwieldly patchwork of deployments across the nation and create the economies of scale necessary to speed deployment by maintaining a consistent set of build out regulations and creating the necessary incentives for the proliferation of new equipment and technologies,” the Oklahoma chiefs said. The Illinois Sheriffs' Association and the Detroit Public Safety Foundation opposed FirstNet control of the band. “The local nature of the 4.9 GHz band is crucial for future preparedness and providing network resiliency to first responders,” the Illinois group said. The proposal remains hotly contested (see 2408230021).