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PUBLIC SAFETY ACCESS TO 700 MHz SPECTRUM
WHEREAS, Congress and the Federal Communications Commission
allocated 24 MHz of the 700 MHz band to public safety for
enhanced communications back in 1997; and
WHEREAS, less than 5 percent of this country’s over 1500
television stations are currently blocking public safety
communications in that 700 MHz band; and
WHEREAS, those 75 TV stations are preventing access by public
safety in the largest metropolitan areas, where public safety
serves over 50% of our country’s population, and where they need
spectrum the most; and
WHEREAS, Congress mandated in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997
that TV stations clear this band by December 31, 2006, but left
an open ended loophole that allows them to stay if less than 85
percent of the households in the TV service area are able to
receive digital TV broadcasts; and
WHEREAS, unless Congress passes a law mandating a date certain,
the year end 2006 clearing date will not be met in most areas;
and
WHEREAS, Congress included a “sense of the Congress” in the
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 that
Congress must pass legislation in 2005 that establishes a
comprehensive approach to the timely return of analog broadcast
spectrum as early as December 31, 2006; and
WHEREAS, access to this spectrum is critical to public safety
for us to:
Increase capacity of our current spectrum constrained
systems, alleviating dangerous radio communications
congestion, and allowing implementation of new and
expanded multi-agency and wide-area radio systems;
Achieve greater communications interoperability among our
own city agencies and with other responding agencies at
all levels of government; and
Implement new advanced mission critical communications,
including high speed data, imaging and video systems; and
WHEREAS, approximately 90 percent of TV households receive
their current television service by cable or satellite, thereby
minimizing the TV viewer impact of Congress mandating TV
broadcasters to fully transition to digital transmission; and
WHEREAS, vendors have projected affordable prices for digital to
analog converter boxes, allowing viewers with current analog TV
sets to watch over-the-air digital broadcasts; and
WHEREAS, Congress is considering subsidizing the cost of these
converter boxes for TV viewers,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States Conference
of Mayors calls on Congress to pass, and the President to sign,
legislation in 2005 to mandate a date certain of no later than
December 31, 2006 to end the DTV transition and provide spectrum
access to public safety on a nationwide basis in the 700 MHz
band; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of
Mayors calls on Congress to limit the disruption of over-the-air
broadcast by subsidizing digital-to-analog television converter
equipment for analog television sets from proceeds of a 700 MHz
spectrum auction as well as labeling of analog televisions sets
to communicate that the television sets will be incapable of
displaying over-the-air television broadcast signals after
December 31, 2006.
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