A Dose of Reality

May 14, 2023

I think it may be about time to form a public safety association just to counter the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance’s (PSSA) goofy narrative, maybe something like the “Public Safety Reality Association” (PSRA) that would provide unbiased information. Making stuff up under the premise that the 4.9 GHz band is in dire need of preservation for public safety interests is blatantly nuts. If PSSA wanted to gain more traction, they should cut out all of the histrionics and limit their pleas to what everyone knows is their objective in the first place - to have the FCC hand over the 4.9 GHz band to the FirstNet Authority, actually AT&T. To fulfill the PSRA’s mission of providing some needed clarity in response to PSSA’s latest missive that the 4.9 GHz band is under attack from those who do not share their vision (see this email: “4.9 GHz Preservation Effort, Immediate Action Requested”), I offer the following reality checks.

“I’m writing to ask for your support as a fellow member of the first responder community.” I guess anyone can suggest they are the true representative of a beleaguered first responder community, but I suspect organizations like APCO, AASHTO, NSA, FCCA and others would stack their many thousands of members against whatever individuals make up the PSSA.

“Integrate 4.9 GHz within the National Public Safety Broadband Network.” Just say it, say it! We want to integrate 4.9 GHz within the FirstNet/AT&T network. There, wasn’t that easy!

“The PSSA has made tremendous progress in keeping the 4.9 GHz spectrum available solely for public safety use.” What? How? It couldn’t have taken that much effort as the band has been, is presently, and will remain a public safety primary band. How many times does the FCC have to say that before the PSSA stops taking credit for something that isn’t at risk. And wouldn’t AT&T eventually want to add non-public customers to their 4.9 GHz network?

Maybe we’ll organize PSRA in the State of Delaware soon to address PSSA’s relentless messaging that they are the answer to public safety’s prayers at 4.9 GHz.

The advocacy and regulatory issues are very important to our business, and, without EWA, we would have no voice. Nobody is speaking up for players like us in Washington except EWA.

David Reeves
P&R Communications
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Brian S. Auker
Triangle Security and Communications
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Paul Moore
Midland Communications
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Craig Sikes
Mobile Communications America
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Frank Anderson
A Beep, LLC