The cost of constructing a nationwide public safety broadband network was the topic of discussion in a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing held on Wednesday. At the center of the discussion were the provisions in the Senator Jay Rockefeller’s (D-WV) legislation, S-28. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee also shared her plans to introduce legislation that would reallocate the D block to public safety and provide a mix of grants and zero-interest loans to construct the public safety network. Meanwhile, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski told the House Communications Subcommittee at an FCC oversight hearing held at the same time as that of Senate Commerce Committee that he still supports the commercial auction of the D-Block, a position that was re-iterated by Commissioner Robert McDowell. Commissioner Meredith Baker has supported an auction but thinks reallocation “is a viable option. Meanwhile, Commissioner Michael Copps and Commissioner Clyburn noted that they were looking at Congress with regards to the issue. The Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) criticized the FCC for being slow to auction the D-Block, even though “the law explicitly calls on [it] to do [so].
 

Sen. Rockefeller’s legislation would have the D block be reallocated to public safety while authorizing $11 billion in appropriations for the construction and maintenance of a nationwide public safety broadband network. In testimony, several public safety officials at the hearing spoke in favor of the bill, stressing that public safety agencies need to have control over the spectrum and network, and that the funding is pivotal to the construction of the network. Speaking in favor of public safety partnerships, Al Gillespie, chief of the North Las Vegas Fire Department said that while public safety agencies can’t rely on commercial entities to run their network, Sen. Rockefeller’s bill would enable “creative partnerships between the public and private sectors,” both for sharing spectrum and building out the network.