Chainnan Julius Genachowski
Federal Communications Commission
Room: 8-B201
445 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554
ALAN NUNNELEE
1sT DISTRICT, MISSISSIPPI
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
AGAICULTUAE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD
AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
ENERGY AND WATER DeVELOPMENT
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND
VEr~AANSAfHl,lHS
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.11llUington,19l!C 20515-2401
May 16,2011
WASHINGTON DC OfFICE
1432 LONGWOATH HOUSE OfFICE BUILOING
(202) 225-4306
DISTRICT OFFICE,
337A EAST MAIN STREET
TUPELO, MS 38804
(6621841-8808
Dear Chainnan Genachowski:
Please find the attached letter from current and fonner public safety officials from Mississippi. I
write today to respectfully request your reaction and response so that I may fully understand
what the Federal Communications Commission is doing to address these issues, particularly that
ofdevice interoperability across the 700 MHz spectrum.
I have the distinct honor ofrepresenting the people ofMississippi in the United States Congress;
and these issues are inherently more than about technology, policy, or what type ofphone one
uses. These are issues oflife and death.
Since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, there has been significant progress made on deploying new and
more capable communications equipment in my home state. Unfortunately, the lack of
redundant networks and interoperable devices - in other words basic communications - among
police, emergency management personnel, and health care providers had very specific and
significant impacts on the relief and recovery for our constituents and communities. Sadly,
similar issues were evident in past weeks as Mississippi was ravaged by deadly tornados.
While there has been progress, advancement in communications technology moves at an
astounding pace. Public safety officials in Mississippi are dedicated servants with great
responsibility for life and property. I understand their desire for access to multiple redundant 4G
communications networks and devices that are interoperable across those networks.
Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to hearing from you regarding
this inquiry. Should you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
xcel\l~,
~e
MEMBER OF CONGRESS
Cc:
Commissioners Copps, Clyburn, Baker, and McDowell
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
An Open Letter to Members of Congress and the Chairman and Members of the Federal
Communications Commission:
We, the undersigned current and former public safety officials in the State ofMississippi, write to
highlight this critical point about public safety networks: interoperability across the 700 MHz
spectrum is essential for our nation's first responders to communicate adequately in emergencies.
Public safety agencies must be able to communicate with each other ("intra-operability") and also
need the ability to access any compatible 4G network ("interoperability")
Without interoperability, our first responders will not have access to redundant 40 networks in an
emergency and many first responders in rural areas and small towns will not have affordable
access to life-saving 40 equipment. In Mississippi, our first responders know about the need for
redundant networks first-hand. After Katrina, our public safety agencies were IInable to lise their
devices in many coastal counties because the public safety networks were down and their devices
were not interoperable with the available commercial networks. That should never happen again.
Mississippi's first responders - many of which are small rural agencies or all-volunteer forces 
deserve affordable access to the services available from 40 technology on reliable and redundant
networks.
On a day-to-day basis, interoperability across the 700MHz spectrum will keep Americans safer
by enabling first responders to access multiple redundant 40 communications networks. In many
instances, commercial operators will deploy 700 MHz LTE networks milch sooner than a
taxpayer-funded public safety network will be deployed. With interoperability across the
700MHz spectrum, first responders could have access to 40 capabilities as soon as the first
commercial network comes online in an area. I Also, should an area's public safety network
become unavailable or overwhelmed due to a man-made or natural disaster, first responders
would have instant access to any available commercial 700MHz network.
Today, when state and federal budgets are strained, il also important to note the benefits
interoperability across the 700MHz spectrum would provide taxpayers. Interoperability across
the 700MHz spectrum would allow public safety to leverage the economies of scale for the entire
40 700 MHz ecosystem. As a result, both commercial and public safety operators would see
lower device and equipment cost"":'inereasing the speed of 40 deploymeuts across the country.
The Congressional Research Service estimates that interoperability would lower the average cost
of each public safety device by $2500 - from $3000 to $500.' Not only would this lower the
price taxpayers pay for first responders' critical communications equipment, but it also means
that small and nlral first responders would have affordable access to the same life-saving 40
devices that will be available to their counterparts in America's largest cities.
I In 2009, the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council concluded: "A nationwide,
Interoperable wireless broadband network, referred to here as the National Broadband Data System
(NBDS) for public safely will not be built overnight and it will take many years to even approximate
ubiquitous coverage. During that period, the ability of public safety users to roam on commercial
networks will be essential." See, NPSTC 700 MHz Public Safety Broadband Task Force Report and
Recommendations, p. 32 (September 4, 2009) (emphasis added).
, See. e.g., L. Moore, "Public Safety Communications and Spectrum Resources: Policy Issues for
Congress," Congressional Research Service Doc. No. R40859 (September 1,2010) ("The participation of
commercial carriers in developing and deploying, for example, a common radio Imerface, is expected to
put the costs of publie safely radios in the same price range as commercial high-end devices ($500). By
contrast, interoperable radios for the narrowband networks al 700 MHz cost $3000 and up, each.")
As you examine the communications needs of America's first-responders and encourage
deployment of wireless broadband capabilities to our nation's rural communities, we urge you to
take these considerations to heart. Having witnessed first-hand the dedication and fearlessness of
Mississippi's many first responders, we can assure you they deserve nothing less.
~,'\ll~\h
Mike Chaney
Insurance CommisSioner
State Fire Marshal, State ofMississippi
Step:B.SlI1IP;;;~
Former Commissioner ofPublic Safety,
State of Mississippi
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Ken Winter
Executive Director
M3 Association of Oliefs of Police