by Matthew Lasar Mar 17 2006 - 12:00am Miscellaneous
Calling the new agency "a critical step forward in its plan to strengthen public safety," the FCC today voted to set up a Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau.
FCC officials disclosed that the new agency would centralize the regulation of emergency/security communications functions that have been spread out among seven different offices and bureaus. These include emergency 911 phone line access, disaster management coordination, and the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA).
"This Bureau will provide a single central hub for the development of policies and rules to promote reliable communications for public safety, national security, and disaster management," FCC Chair Kevin Martin declared at today's Open Commission meeting. Congress must approve the plan before it goes into effect.
The FCC also issued a Notice asking for public comment on whether a large section of spectrum within the 700 MHz band reserved for public safety use should be adjusted to accept broadband communication. TV broadcasters presently use the 700 MHz region to transfer video, but it will become free for public safety use after the transition to digital television, scheduled to conclude on February 18, 2009.
