The Washington Post reports that Commerce Committee Chairman Sen. Jay Rockefeller plans to introduce a bill that would allocate additional spectrum for a public safety wireless data network for emergency first responders.

The Post says such a  bill would be a “win-win” for public safety and the companies who would voluntarily provide some of their extra spectrum for the effort. From the article:

"To recap, the Commerce Committee chairman said he plans to introduce a bill that would hand over 10 megahertz of spectrum to public safety officials, adding to the 10 they already possess. Police, fire and other public safety groups have argued they need that additional spectrum to meet data demands of the future."

"The bill essentially scraps a recommendation by the Federal Communications Commission to auction 10 megahertz of valuable spectrum to a commercial carrier, giving the proceeds of the spectrum to building the public safety network and the agreement that Congress and the carrier will continue to front building and operating costs of building a national network."

At Broadband for America, we applaud the effort to find public-private partnerships to increase broadband adoption and access, especially in the public safety sector. Read more about how broadband can improve public safety here and read the full Washington Post article here.

The National Association of Broadcasters has also tentatively endorsed the plan, saying: "Our goal is simple: to work collaboratively on a two-track strategy that accomplishes the administration's goals without compromising the future of America's robust and reliable digital television service that remains free, local and ubiquitous," NAB President Gordon Smith said.  Similar legislation has already been introduced in the House. Read the full report here.