FCC Prepares to Clear Public Safety Users From T-Band

FCC Prepares to Clear Public Safety Users From T-Band

The FCC has issued a Public Notice seeking input on clearing public-safety communications from the T-band.  The T-band is spectrum that many public safety users in large urban areas share with broadcasters.  The Spectrum Act requires the FCC to make this spectrum available for auction in 2021.

• The Public Notice is being released to determine:
  • How many licensees of all types are using the T-band
  • The public vs private ratio of users
  • What equipment is being used
  • Where public-safety operations should be moved to
  • Feedback on reimbursement considerations, incentives, the eventual configuration, and narrowbanding

T-Band public safety users will likely either relocate to other UHF-VHF spectrum bands or to public safety spectrum in the 700 MHz or 800 MHz bands.  The other possibility is moving to the 700 MHz D-Block where the national public safety broadband network will be located.

Those who are interested further on the future of the T-band and will be attending the IWCE conference in Las Vegas should consider attending the session titled What is the Future of T-Band? The session will be held on March 13, 2013 from ll:00am-12: 15pm.