NTIA SELECTS DC PUBLIC SAFETY NETWORK TO MONITOR EFFECTIVENESS IN SHARING RADIO SPECTRUM WITH FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT USERS

The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration today announced it has selected a Washington, D.C. public safety wireless network to evaluate its effectiveness in sharing the radio spectrum with federal, state and local governments during emergencies.

Selection of the Washington, D.C. Wireless Accelerated Responder Network (WARN), an interoperable, city-wide, broadband public safety network fulfills one of the 24 recommendations of President Bush's 21st Century Spectrum policy initiative for improving management of the nation's airwaves.

The President's initiative directs NTIA to examine the feasibility of sharing spectrum among commercial, federal and local public safety and critical infrastructure applications. Accordingly, the President directed NTIA to develop and implement one or more demonstration programs to test the operational and cost effectiveness of sharing spectrum.

NTIA plans to issue a report on its findings later this year.

"Joint federal-local communications systems have the potential for enormous capital and spectrum efficiencies as well as inherent interoperability benefits," Acting NTIA Administrator John M.R. Kneuer said.

"This demonstration project is a critical part of the comprehensive regionwide communications system for the National Capital Area," Kneuer said. The WARN project launched by the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Technology Officer is aimed at delivering next generation broadband wireless solutions for real time video in the nation's capital. The system provides broadband tools for city wide remote surveillance, chemical and biological detection and several other emergency related services.

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