At occasionally emotionally charged meeting of Public Safety National Coordination Committee (NCC) in Brooklyn Fri., public safety officials, including several who themselves had responded to attacks on World Trade Center and Pentagon, laid out for policymakers critical spectrum needs in wake of Sept. 11. At top of many lists was clearing analog TV incumbents from 700 MHz to make way for public safety users to operate in 24 MHz that FCC has set aside from them in that band. In first days following N.Y. attack, TV stations went off air after their equipment on top of World Trade Center was destroyed, said Peter Meade, chief of Nassau County, N.Y., Fire Dept. “I didn’t hear anybody saying, ‘I need Channel 2 back,'” Meade said. “But there are literally millions of people in the New York metropolitan area who cannot live and who will not live without an augmentation to the existing public safety communications channels. So television be damned.” Other key issues that surfaced repeatedly in day-long meeting included need for better interoperability between jurisdictions, for redundant wireless data network that could function during disasters and for more govt. funding. Several new proposals were put on table as well, including one by Nextel that was receiving kudos from public safety community and would relocate users in 700 MHz and 800 MHz bands for more efficient operations.

NARUC adopted as official policy 5 Telecom Committee resolutions that: (1) Support universal UNE-P availability to ensure that form of local entry remains viable option. (2) Call for coordination among regulatory and public safety agencies on upgrading 911 systems for demands of new telecom technologies. (3) Urge FCC-state collaboration in developing national base guidelines for incumbent telcos’ wholesale service performance. (4) Oppose Verizon Wireless’s petition to FCC for wireless number portability forbearance. (5) Support coordination among all entities involved in telecom emergency preparedness efforts. NARUC also adopted Finance & Technology Committee’s version of resolution opposing phase- out of federal Uniform System of Accounts until telecom market forces were strong enough across the board to substitute for regulation. Resolution also calls for Federal-State Joint Conference on accounting issues. Telecom Committee had adopted similar resolution that lacked F&T’s calls for longer comment cycle in FCC’s current Phase 3 review of accounting requirements, and referral of certain accounting issues to Federal-State Separations Joint Board. Telecom panel Chmn. Smith said her group would defer to F&T’s version since differences were minor. NARUC also adopted Consumer Affairs Committee resolution urging all states to participate in pending FCC remand proceeding on what methods of customer consent would form legally acceptable compromise between customers’ right to keep their proprietary network information private and carriers’ rights to use such information for lawful marketing purposes. Resolution said state government and regulators had clear and substantial interest in privacy issues and should detail their experiences on regulated utilities’ use of customer information. The resolutions were approved by NARUC board and ratified by convention floor membership. NARUC’s members also elected new slate of officers for 2002. Group without dissent elected Comr. William Nugent of Me. PUC as pres., Mich. PSC Comr. David Svanda as 1st vp, and Ga. PSC Comr. Stan Wise as 2nd vp.

PHILADELPHIA -- State regulators meeting here Mon. advanced policy resolutions addressing future of unbundled network element platforms (UNE-P), national wholesale performance standards, accounting, subscriber line charges and several other issues at NARUC annual convention.

CompTel issued “policy principles” Tues. aimed at focusing debate on how to eliminate barriers to public rights-of-way faced by broadband providers: (1) There should be uniform process for giving out permits, without “inappropriate” administrative requirements and within reasonable amount of time. (2) Fees charged broadband providers should reflect “actual and direct costs” of managing and using those rights-of-way. (3) Access to emergency services such as 911 shouldn’t be withheld from providers by municipalities “seeking leverage on franchise fees.” (4) “Industry-based criteria” should be used to develop engineering standards. (5) Providers should have right to challenge lawfulness of requirements.

Next stage of nationwide 911 system enhancement will take location identification technology beyond current focus on public safety access point (PSAP) notification, ComCARE Alliance said Thurs. Development of integrated notification system, using Internet, wireless and GPS technologies, would allow multiple emergency units to receive information immediately. Jack Potter, Valley Health Systems dir.- emergency medicine, said he envisioned system that simultaneously could receive: (1) GPS-enabled “data-rich feed” that mapped out emergency scene. (2) Crash data that provided estimate of possible extent of injuries or, in case of overturned truck, whether vehicle was carrying hazardous materials. (3) Real-time traffic information to determine which PSAP could respond to emergency scene most quickly. (4) Map of locations of wireless callers to 911 to discern whether calls were for same or multiple emergencies. Potter is participating in related pilot project in Shenandoah Valley in Va. He said system envisioned would allow for information sharing among traditional “first responders” as well as trauma centers, municipal transportation agencies, tow truck operators. Sen. Burns (R-Mont.) said recent terrorist attacks served as impetus for development of such system: “Out of every tragedy, and out of the ashes of tragedy, comes something positive. This is one of them.”

N.Y. law banning use of handheld mobile phones by vehicle drivers took effect Thurs., but for first month violators will get only warnings. Starting Dec. 1, however, police can issue tickets carrying $100 fine for first offense. Through March, if ticketed drivers buy hands-free phone or device after receiving ticket but before court appearance date, ticket can be waived. At any time, drivers can have their tickets waived if they provide calling record showing they were calling 911 or other emergency service number at time of violation.

Dept. of Defense (DoD) is continuing to press wireless industry for ideas on how to best provide nation’s public safety agencies with uninterrupted access to wireless networks during emergencies, Air Force Lt. Gen. Harry Raduege said at MILCOM conference in Vienna, Va., Tues. Raduege, who is dir. of Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and mgr. of National Communications System (NCS), stopped short of saying Pentagon would push for mandatory wireless priority access. However, he said prioritizing such access -- which already is mandated for wireline service providers -- “has come to the forefront of national leaders’ concerns.”

Colo. PUC will hold hearing Nov. 2 in Denver on proposed rule to require that owners of multiline business or residential telephone systems provide written instructions to employees, tenants, students and other types of end-users on how to properly access 911 emergency calling service. Instructions would describe code to dial to access outside line for 911 call and whether end-users must stay on line to give 911 operator their phone number and exact location of emergency. Notice would be given by card or sticker placed at each phone or given to individuals at time of hiring, registration or occupancy, and annually thereafter. Rule (Case 01-R-422T) wouldn’t apply to prisons and other confinement facilities.

FCC issued guidance on filings by small and midsized wireless carriers for relief from meeting Enhanced 911 Phase 2 requirements by deadline of Nov. 30. In public notice earlier this month, FCC had set deadline, saying it wouldn’t begin enforcement action for E911 Phase 2 rules against such companies during extended filing period. Commission said carriers should provide: (1) “Full explanation and justification” for specific relief requested. (2) Propose blueprint for implementing Phase 2 that included “specific, enforceable” milestones for implementation. (3) Provide compliance plan that showed how and when carrier would comply with Phase 2 mandates. (4) Demonstrate that proposed solution would “come as close as possible” to meeting accuracy and reliability requirements. FCC said it was encouraging joint filings. Reports on Phase 2 plans are being placed on FCC Web site at www.fcc.gov/e911.

Cal. Gov. Gray Davis (D) vetoed bill (AB-1477) that would have authorized statewide surcharge to support establishment of local 311 numbers for nonemergency public safety calls to relieve burden such calls place on 911 emergency call systems. Local systems would have been funded by 0.25% state surcharge on intrastate phone bills under program administered by Cal. Dept. of General Services. Davis objected to statewide 311 surcharge, saying local jurisdictions under current law had authority to establish local 311 systems funded by local phone surcharges so state program to support 311 systems was unnecessary.