atongtegg of tl,e lInite.b ;§tates Ma.51,illgfoll, ilill 20515 November 15,2012 The Honorable Julius Genachowski Chairman Federal Communications Commission 445 Twelfth Street, SW Washington, DC 20554 Dear Chairman Genachowski: It is our understanding that the State of Arkansas filed a request for waiver of the Federal Communications Commission's 700MHz narrowbanding deadline of December 31, 2016. The Arkansas delegation has been working in collaboration with state officials to assess the impact that compliance with the deadline will have on public safety communications in Arkansas. While we understand the importance and support the development of a nationwide, interoperable public safety network, we share our state's concerns that the timeline to comply with the December 31, 2016 mandate is burdensome and could have serious consequences for public safety. Necessary changes to existing system infrastructure and subscriber handheld units would pose significant financial hardship for the state and local jurisdictions and undermine the value of previous federal grants for equipment purchase. For these reasons, we ask that you give all due consideration to the state's request for waiver. Sincerely, PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER