I read in the FCC’s releases earlier this week that Shelby County, Alabama was granted  waivers, in one respect a partial waiver, to operate a VHF trunked system that will use both public safety and Industrial/Business frequencies. Good for them. The details may be reviewed in the Commission’s Order, but know that EWA had weighed in previously in this licensing matter requesting that if Shelby County wanted to use Business/Industrial spectrum, that its application meet all applicable spectrum availability, engineering, and inter-service concurrence policies. The initial application didn’t appear to do so. I made the call to recommend further EWA and, ultimately, FCC review as it is my view that simply asserting that “there are no Public Safety VHF high band frequencies available for assignment, except those currently on the application” is not sufficient. That claim needs to be supported with verifiable documentation when a public safety entity seeks to fill in the spectrum blanks with primary Industrial/Business spectrum. Absent appropriate justification and a full vetting of all available public safety spectrum bands, to my knowledge there exists no inalienable right to claim access to bands that are allocated for primary Industrial/Business purposes. Vendors need to think twice before they assume that they can always go get some Industrial/Business spectrum for public safety-type operations. Imagine for a moment the uproar if EWA were ever to seek access to public safety bands. I keep hearing “are you kidding!  The answer isn’t just no, it’s hell no!” 

Since it’s a one-way street, the process must be conducted professionally and in accordance with agreed upon protocols. That’s all we asked. It was never personal against Shelby County specifically whose spectrum needs presumably are legitimate, or the entire public safety community generally. It was just business. Isn’t it in the best interests of public safety entities that the inter-service concurrence process is conducted properly? It certainly is helpful for Industrial/Business incumbents who will be occupying spectrum with public safety licensees.  

It seems to me that the changes made by Shelby County’s coordinator and those required by the FCC in response to the issues raised by EWA improved the County’s application and thus the system it ultimately will deploy. Isn’t it good for spectrum management objectives that the process is applied consistently and produces fair results? Oh, that makes me think of another matter:  The State of Maine project. But that’s another story.