9/11 Demonstrated Need for National Broadband Network

Huffington Post
Published: September 10, 2011

Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator from New York, wrote in the Huffington Post:

Currently, firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians, and other public safety professionals communicate on different frequencies and with different systems, creating barriers to providing a coordinated and efficient response during an emergency situation. The 9/11 Commission identified insufficient interoperability between communications systems used by first responders during the attacks and rescue efforts at Ground Zero as a major issue that needs to be addressed. It baffles me that 10 years later, this recommendation has yet to be implemented.

...It works by providing our first responders and public safety officials with the critical interoperable radio airwaves needed to effectively communicate in the event a major response is needed. It creates the framework for the deployment of a nationwide, interoperable, wireless broadband network for public safety by allocating 10 megahertz of spectrum, known as the "D-block," to public safety. This nationwide interoperable broadband network would finally enable first responders to communicate across jurisdictions, share critical data such as video feeds and up-to-date information in real-time - making complex operations easier and safer.

At a time when Congress is rightly concerned with cutting spending, this legislation pays for itself by generating the necessary revenue to pay for the development and deployment of this network. In fact, it even reduces the deficit by $6.5 billion. And it does not place any burdensome requirements on public safety entities to return the spectrum that they currently use.

Click here to read the full article in the Huffington Post.