Saying it is critical for "first preventers," America's Most Wanted host John Walsh is joining the push by police and fire officials for government allocation of the D block of spectrum for an interoperable broadband public safety network, according to a representative of the Public Safety Alliance.
Walsh is slated to be among those at a press conference in Capitol Hill Wednesday, Oct. 26, making the point that the emergency network will help protect children, the elderly and others from crime and other threats.
He and others are pushing legislation that would allocate the spectrum, rather than auction it as is required under current law. The legislation also gives the FCC incentive auction authority to pay broadcasters to move off their spectrum, which will then be auctioned for wireless broadband with part of those proceeds going to pay for the emergency network.
The deficit reduction committee is currently considering those auctions for their revenue-raising potential.
