Rumors are circulating on the Hill and throughout the public-safety industry that the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will undo the progress made to allocate the D Block spectrum to public safety, provide $10 billion to $12 billion in funding for a nationwide broadband network, and establish an independent governing authority to build and sustain the network. The subcommittee was expected to take up a proposal spearheaded by Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.), who unveiled a draft version that did not allocate D Block to public safety and proposed a “sunset” of narrowband use of 700 MHz spectrum after 10 years.

To address the rumors and the state of the D Block, FIRE CHIEF Associate Editor Mary Rose Roberts spoke with Chief Jeff Johnson (Ret.), one of public safety’s staunchest advocates for the nationwide public-safety broadband network. He also addresses the network's importance and why chiefs should join his lobbying campaign.