STRUCTURE, FINANCING OF NATIONAL PUBLIC-SAFETY NETWORK NOT SET

摘要

Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., of the House Commerce Committee said a public-private partnership remains a good way to create a nationwide, interoperable public safety network. He spoke at a Communications Subcommittee hearing. No consensus on the structure emerged among the members or witnesses. Lawmakers did agree that a solution must be reached by law or FCC action. "I am not sure that any of these proposals are going to derive the revenues that we have to have in order to build out this spectrum, particularly in rural areas," said subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va. He said he's worried about the $10-$20 billion that experts have told him is needed to build the network. "We are going to find ourselves looking for some kind of general fund revenues in order to finance this," Boucher said. nnWaxman said the plan should include quick construction of networks, a commitment to serve all parts of the country and a strategy to "avoid distorting or disrupting the commercial wireless marketplace by giving an unfair advantage to certain carriers over others." Ranking member Joe Barton, R-Texas, recommended that the technological problems of building out networks be resolved before policy decisions are made. He strongly opposed a "conditioned auction" approach because it has failed previously. "If we need to, as a subcommittee, inform the FCC not to do that, I support that." Police, fire and other emergency agencies generally agree that the approach "is not worth pursuing," said Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., the subcommittee's ranking member.