Dems voice concern on 700 MHz plan while Verizon Wireless considers options

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin’s 700 MHz plan may face trouble securing support from the agency’s two Democrats, but the draft rule could entice Verizon Wireless to become more serious about partnering with public safety.
“I’m a big believer in open access,” said Michael Copps, one of the FCC’s two Democrats, according to the Associated Press. A Copps aide confirmed the commissioner’s statement. “And to me that means wholesale as well as device and application freedom.”
Jonathan Adelstein, the other FCC Democrat, recently stated he supports the creation of an open-access wireless network in the 700 MHz band.
Martin’s 700 MHz draft order would permit limited open access on two 11-megahertz blocks of 700 MHz spectrum, but licenses apparently would neither be national nor subject to a wholesale mandate. That approach has drawn criticism from special interest groups, and strays from Frontline Wireless L.L.C.’s proposal to mandate open access and wholesale requirements on a national 700 MHz network using commercial and public-safety frequencies. Frontline yesterday added former FBI director Louis Freeh to its team to help reach out to public safety.
Martin is also feeling heat from the mobile phone industry because wireless carriers oppose any open-access condition to the 700 MHz licenses, which are due to be auctioned late this year or in January.
Public-safety groups, however, have rallied around Martin’s intention to designate for bidding a national 10-megahertz block in which the winning bidder would be required to work with public safety on adjacent first-responder frequencies to improve first-responder communications.
Sources said Verizon Wireless has been meeting with public-safety officials on, among other things, becoming a partner in a national commercial-public safety broadband network. It’s unclear whether Martin’s move against including open access in a commercial-public safety network will persuade Verizon Wireless to join forces with public safety via the 700 MHz auction.
“We’ve never discussed bidding strategies, nor will we now,” said Jeffrey Nelson, a Verizon Wireless spokesman.
Sources said there have been discussions about Verizon Wireless or cellphone industry association CTIA writing a letter to the FCC to express industry’s intention to work with public safety on a national 700 MHz network.