Martin Hopeful on Public Safety Spectrum

MARTIN HOPEFUL ON PUBLIC SAFETY SPECTRUM
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Seth Sutel]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin says he's hopeful that someone can bid on a swath of airwaves for a national public-safety network, even though the most likely prospect -- Frontline Wireless -- has collapsed. Chairman Martin, speaking to reporters following a speech at a conference sponsored by Rev. Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/Push Coalition in New York, said the auction for the spectrum would proceed regardless. "We'll have to see" what happens, he said. "It's certainly possible the FCC may have to reevaluate things and develop a new model for using this spectrum," said FCC Commissioner Michael Copps. "The really important thing for America is that we find some way to improve the tools available to our nation's first responders. We're six and a half years past 9/11 and we still don't have a national, interoperable broadband wireless network for public safety users." With Frontline apparently out of the bidding, it is still possible that a major telecommunications company such as AT&T Inc. or Verizon Wireless could get the spectrum and satisfy the FCC's conditions. The network has commercial applications, but public safety users take priority. Blair Levin, a regulatory analyst with Stifel Nicolaus and former FCC chief of staff, said Wednesday that the troubles that Frontline apparently had in putting together a financially viable bid would make it unlikely there would be a new entrant to build a national wireless network. The minimum bid on the public-safety spectrum block is $1.33 billion. If no other bidder makes the upfront payment and bids, it's not yet clear what would happen to the public safety spectrum, according to the FCC rules that govern the auction.
http://ca.biz.yahoo.com/ap/080109/fcc_spectrum_auction.html?.v=1

* Hope remains for national wireless network
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20080110/1b_auction10.art.htm

* Airwave auction may miss targets
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-spectrum10jan10,1,221...