Federal Communications Commission FCC 12-68
STATEMENT OF 
COMMISSIONER JESSICA ROSENWORCEL
Re: Recommendations of the Technical Advisory Board for First Responder 
Interoperability, PS Docket No.12-74, Order of Transmittal 
Earlier this year, Congress passed landmark legislation to finally deliver a 
nationwide wireless broadband network for first responders.  Under this new law, the 
Commission was asked to assemble a board of experts to develop minimum technical 
requirements to ensure a nationwide level of interoperability.  As required by the law, the 
First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet)—the authority charged with building this 
network—must incorporate all of the recommendations that are aimed at ensuring 
interoperability into their requests for proposals.
 
I am happy to see that, by all accounts, the Interoperability Board did a stellar job 
in carrying out its role in this important national priority.  The Board’s recommendations 
have received widespread praise for their technical rigor and for providing FirstNet with 
the flexibility necessary to get this network up and running.  
I want to thank Chairman Genachowski and the Public Safety and Homeland 
Security Bureau for assembling this group of experts.  Thank you also to Chairman 
Chuck Robinson and all the members of the Interoperability Board for the important 
work they did in such a short time.