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Good morning, Chairman Upton, Ranking Member Markey and Members of the
Subcommittee.
My name is Greg Brown, and I am the President and CEO of Motorola's
Commercial Government and Industrial Solutions Sector. I want to express my
appreciation to you, Mr. Chairman, for scheduling this hearing, and for taking
time to visit our high-speed date project, the Greenhouse Project. It is obvious
that you have put a high priority on identifying and meeting public safety
needs. I also want to thank other members of this committee who were able to
visit the project earlier this week, including Congressmen Rush, Bass and Terry.
This committee understands the challenges facing public safety and has taken
the lead in exploring ways to address these needs, including the 700 MHz
proposals of Chairman Tauzin, Ranking Member Dingell, Congresswoman Harman, and
Congressman Weldon and the funding proposals by Congressmen Markey, Stupak,
Fossella and Engel, among others. I am pleased to be with you today to support
your efforts to achieve our shared goal of meeting public safety needs.
Motorola's Commercial, Government and Industrial Solutions Sector (CGISS) is
a leading provider of communications and information solutions, with more than
65 years of experience in meeting the mission-critical needs of our public
safety customers. We offer an extensive portfolio of solutions specifically
designed to meet the rapidly evolving safety and security needs of these
customers. Our solutions include interoperable mission-critical radio systems;
command and control solutions; identification and tracking solutions;
information management for criminal justice and civil needs; and physical
security and monitoring solutions. In 2002, CGISS received the Malcolm Baldrige
National Quality Award, the nation's premier award for performance excellence
and quality achievement, and Motorola was pleased to be here in Washington last
month to receive the award from Vice President Cheney and Commerce Secretary
Evans.
Motorola works very closely with our customers to ensure their ability to
effectively respond to both every-day mission critical needs and catastrophic
events. Our goal is to help them provide superior information at the point of
decision and to improve interoperability among multiple agencies and levels of
government. Interoperable wireless communication capability allows two or more
parties to exchange information directly. In every disaster scenario, emergency
responders recognize wireless system interoperability as a key factor in
effective response and regional coordination. With interoperability, on-scene
personnel can quickly access each other to coordinate needed rescue and
emergency activities.
Motorola has installed or upgraded hundreds of digital systems for local and
state jurisdictions. For example, Motorola supplied the leading edge
interoperable digital system for the State of Michigan, as well as the
Integration Framework technology in Kalamazoo County that will connect the
multiple justice information systems for new efficiencies in criminal
enforcement and homeland security. In addition, the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts is operating an interoperable, multi-agency statewide network that
serves as a platform for interoperability among many State and local agencies
and is planning for future expansion.
Our experience has confirmed that interoperability is an important priority,
and in achieving this capability, like meeting other mission imperatives, the
approach must fit the system in question and the customer's needs and
circumstances. There is no one-size-fits-all because of the wide differences
among existing systems and operations.
We believe that nationwide interoperability can be achieved by the end of
this decade if we set that goal as a national priority. Despite the differences
among systems, we have learned that the common, and key, requirements to
achieving interoperability include spectrum, standards and money.
To that end Congress has taken many steps to make spectrum available to
public safety, including setting aside 24 MHz in the 700 MHz band. Congress now
should clear this spectrum by the end of 2006 so public safety can begin to use
it for wide area high-speed data communications as well as expanded voice
communications. Interoperability standards that meet public safety needs and are
open to all manufacturers have been established for voice and data communication
and soon will be affirmed for wideband services. And finally, the Administration
and the Congress have begun to fund the various grant programs administered by
the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security and to set interoperability as
a high priority for these funds. However, the level of funding in general and
the amounts set aside for interoperable equipment purchases must be increased
significantly.
ACCESS TO SPECTRUM ALLOCATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY IS CRITICAL.
Wireless communications is a critical tool for our nation's public safety
agencies, especially given today's heightened homeland security concerns. It is
the mechanism for providing our first responders with the right information at
the right time and in the right place, whether that information is transferred
via voice, data, or images. Spectrum designated for exclusive use by public
safety is the lifeline to their emergency response, detection and prevention
capabilities. Simply put, without access to adequate spectrum, wireless
communications cannot take place, effectively and ubiquitously.
Recognizing the urgent and rapidly growing need for additional spectrum,
especially in our metropolitan population centers, the public safety community
through the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee (PSWAC), issued a report
on September 11, 1996 that identified the need for almost 100 MHz of additional
spectrum to meet its communications needs through 2010. The greatest amount of
spectrum is needed for emerging wireless wide area and broadband technologies,
adapted for mission critical public safety applications. These applications
include high-speed data, intranet access, imaging and video transfers and
on-scene multi-media mobile command communications.
In 1997 Congress reallocated 24 MHz in the 746-806 MHz band (700 MHz band) to
support mission critical public safety communications. The FCC has implemented
this directive and issued authorizations and technical rules for public safety
use. However, this spectrum is currently used by television channels 63, 64, 68
and 69, and they are expected to vacate this spectrum as part of the HDTV
transition.
These channels are critical to public safety for two reasons:
(1) Together, the new 700 MHz and current 800 MHz bands provide the best
opportunity to integrate interoperable communications. The 700 MHz band's
proximity to the 800 MHz band allows public safety agencies to expand their
current 800 MHz narrowband voice and data systems for interoperability and
regional coordination on an "intra" as well as "inter"
agency basis. Equipment operating in these combined frequency bands on the FCC
endorsed Project 25 interoperability standard is commercially available today.
Further, the FCC last year granted each state a license to operate such
narrowband communications in the 700 MHz band.
(2) 700 MHz is the only dedicated spectrum allocation where public safety can
implement advanced mobile wide area systems that bring high-speed access to
databases, the intranet, imaging and video to first responders in the field.
This technology offers a whole new level of mobile communications
capabilities, which is far beyond today's voice and low speed data applications.
For example:
a. An officer or agent could transmit video of a potential bomb, or
biological weapon and get real time counsel from an expert in another location.
b. Local or state police could instantly send or receive a photograph of a
missing or abducted child.
c. Crime scene investigators can transmit live video of footprints,
fingerprints and evidence to speed analysis and apprehension of perpetrators.
d. Firefighters can access building blueprints, hydrant locations hazardous
material data and other critical information.
e. Paramedics can transmit live video of the patient to doctors at the
hospital that would help save lives.
Motorola and Pinellas County, Florida, conducted a successful trial of
technology that can provide all of the above capabilities as part of what we
refer to as the Greenhouse Project. Operating under an experimental license from
the FCC, we are conducting trials in the City of Chicago. The capabilities being
demonstrated are the emerging powerful multi-media applications that will bring
public safety communications into the Twenty-First Century. Public safety users
are currently finalizing the wideband interoperability standard through the
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). Right now, actual product
development could proceed as soon as we know with certainty that this spectrum
will be available nationwide to the public safety community.
Unfortunately, most metropolitan area public safety operations cannot use
this spectrum today, nor can they predict with any certainty when they might
have access to these frequencies. Therefore, they cannot deploy, or plan for the
deployment of, the interoperability and advanced technology that will improve
their effectiveness and safety. Under current law, while TV incumbents are
required to vacate this spectrum at the end of 2006, they can receive an
unlimited extension of this deadline based on the state of the transition in
their particular market. Many experts seem to accept that the 2006 date is not
likely to be met in any television market. Nor is there any effort to prioritize
clearing the stations that impede use of the public safety allocation. So, in
reality, there is no "hard date" when the transition will end for
public safety users, a situation which leaves the public safety community and
those who support its efforts and needs in a terrible situation. We commend and
encourage this committee's efforts on legislation to set this hard date.
In order for any public safety agency to use the spectrum it has been
assigned in the 700 MHz band, any TV stations operating on those transmit and
receive frequencies (referred to as the co-TV channels) must have ceased
operations. In addition, any TV stations in that market that are operating one
TV channel up or down from the co-TV channel (referred to as the adjacent TV
channels) also must have ceased operations. In effect, as many as seven TV
channels (62-65 and 67-69) must be cleared before first responders in that
market will be able to access the 24 MHz of new spectrum and deploy the
equipment that uses this spectrum.
Based on current FCC licenses, we have developed maps that identify the
locations of the TV broadcasters that are operating today on the public safety
co-channels and adjacent channels throughout the country. The maps include
Canadian TV broadcasters that are bordering the U.S and that would impact public
safety operations in the bands. Because public safety systems operate in a
pairing of transmit and receive channels, they will operate in previous TV
channels 63 and 68, and 64 and 69. In addition adjacent channels would impact
their operations. Each of the two maps below shows the implications of existing
operations on one of the two pairings. The shaded circles indicate current areas
blocked by TV incumbents on the co-channels and on the adjacent channels and
they include the Canadian TV stations operations.
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It is no surprise that these blocked areas are in our nation's densest
population centers, where public safety urgently needs access to the spectrum.
The reality is that 5% of this country's TV stations are blocking improved
public safety communications for 84% of the population in the largest cities,
those over 200,000. Of that 84%, more than two-thirds have no access to the
spectrum, while the remaining third have only limited access. When we look at
all areas of the country, rural as well as urban, 54% of our country's
population is totally blocked by this small number of TV stations from receiving
any benefits of public safety communications in this new band.
To allow public safety agencies to implement this vitally needed new wideband
technology, as well as expand and interoperate with their existing 800 MHz
systems, public safety must be allowed to access the 700 MHz spectrum throughout
the country.
Congressional action is required to mandate a date certain by which all TV
incumbents must vacate this critically needed spectrum, without exceptions. This
firm date must be no later than 2006.
We are not unmindful of the other considerations that are involved in making
this date a reality. It will not be an easy task, but we believe it can be
achieved while mitigating the adverse effects. We urge the Committee not to be
deterred from setting this goal because it may be hard to achieve. Rather, once
it has been set, the affected parties, including the public safety community,
the FCC and NTIA, the involved broadcasters and other affected parties,
including our company, should be called upon to devote our energies to making it
happen.
INCREASED RECOGNITION OF INTEROPERABILITY IS IMPERATIVE.
Motorola was the first company to put radio equipment in a police car. This
landmark event took place approximately 65 years ago. From that day forward to
the present, technology to meet first responder needs has steadily evolved. As
the technology made it possible to move into higher and higher frequency bands,
and as the lower frequencies reached user capacity, the FCC allocated additional
spectrum to public safety users on an incremental basis, going from the VHF Low
Band, located in the area of 30 MHz, to the VHF High Band in the area of 150
MHZ, and the UHF Band at 450 MHZ, and then going to the 800 MHz Band and now to
the 700 MHz spectrum.
As this Committee appreciates, public safety equipment must be capable of
many years of use, because local municipal budgets need to squeeze as much use
out of equipment as is possible. Thus, there has been no set order in which
municipalities expanded into new spectrum bands. A city would buy new equipment,
perhaps in a new band, when they needed new or expanded communications, a
replacement for their existing equipment, or as existing channels hit capacity
usage levels.
This patchwork quilt approach to spectrum allocation and adoption by users
for public safety by myriad independent political entities resulted in the
interoperability challenges we are facing today. Regional coordination to enable
interoperability was not considered to be a high priority, at least not until a
local disaster exposed a problem. For example, more than 20 years ago, the
public safety community in metropolitan Washington, D.C., learned firsthand how
a lack of interoperability among agencies can contribute to the chaos of a
disaster and may impede effective response.
On January 13, 1982, the crash of Air Florida flight 90 into the 14th Street
Bridge revealed that many of the police, fire and rescue agencies from all
levels of government, who responded to this large disaster, could not talk to
one another. From this experience emerged a consensus that something had to be
done. And action was taken, including years of planning and collaboration by the
Washington Metropolitan Area Council of Governments to design proactively an
interoperable radio communications solution and mutual aid agreement among the
area jurisdictions and response agencies.
On September 11, 2001, the local public safety organizations in the
Washington, D.C. area were prepared, and with the flip of a switch, they were
able to communicate seamlessly at the site of the terrorist attack on the
Pentagon. There were still some coordination issues with the federal responders
who also arrived on the scene, because they had not chosen to be part of the
planning efforts of the local jurisdictions, and their radios operated on
separate federal frequency bands. But both the benefits of interoperability and
some ways in which it can be achieved were aptly demonstrated that day. This
experience demonstrated that while meeting day to day operational requirements,
interoperability can be achieved when there is a willingness to cooperate,
sufficient compatible spectrum, funding, common technology and equally
important, adequate training and planning.
PROJECT 25 IS THE U.S. INTEROPERABILITY STANDARD.
In addition to spectrum access, standards are critically important to
achieving interoperability. Fortunately, the standards for interoperability have
been developed, and they have been accepted around the world, with systems now
operating in 49 countries. The standards were developed by the public safety
users in the United States, with cooperation from multiple equipment
manufacturers. Public safety users adopted the Project 25 (or "P25")
standard in order to implement an open standard that promotes interoperability
and system migration, and enables more competitive procurements for digital
radio systems, thereby eliminating their dependence on vendor proprietary
systems.
P25 is actually a full suite of standards that, when built into
communications equipment, provides the basis for interoperable digital radio
voice and low-speed data communications among multiple public safety users,
departments and agencies. These standards were developed under the auspices of,
and are published by, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), and
accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Public safety
users have the option to choose Project 25 products from multiple vendors. The
Project 25 web page lists 15 manufacturers serving the public safety and defense
markets, who offer P25 compliant radios and/or P25 radio system products
(http://www.project25.org/pages/manufacturers.htm).
Unlike many other communications standards and technologies in the broader
wireless industry, the unique mission critical requirements of public safety
users drove the development of the P25 suite of standards. High priority was
given to public safety's operational and tactical requirements. For reasons of
cost effectiveness, the Project 25 standards permit a graceful migration path
from aging analog to new digital systems. These standards promote improved
spectral efficiency, and, as intended, allow for multi-vendor equipment
offerings. Radios that meet the P25 standards incorporate backward compatibility
with conventional analog systems. Project 25 radios communicate in analog mode
to analog radios, and either digital or analog modes with other P25 radios.
Public safety users at all levels of government have embraced Project 25. For
example, Project 25 has received the endorsement of the National Association of
State Telecommunications Directors (NASTD), the Association of Public Safety
Communications Officials - International (APCO), the International Association
of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC),
the Major Cities Chiefs (MCC), the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA), and the
Major County Sheriffs' Association (NCSA).
Project 25 has received broad support at the federal level as well. Based on
public safety user recommendations, the FCC endorsed the Project 25 suite of
standards for voice and low-speed data interoperability in the new nation-wide
700 MHz frequency band. Every 700 MHz radio must include Project 25
compatibility defined by this TIA/ANSI standard. The U.S. Department of Defense
mandated P25 for new land mobile radio systems. Recently, the Department of
Homeland Security specified P25 as the standard for obtaining federal funding
for interoperability grants.
Interoperability Funding Should Be a National Priority
Full public safety communications interoperability by the end of this decade
should be a national goal. This is an ambitious goal, but a very worthy and
doable one. Our nation has the necessary technology, the standards and equipment
. What is lacking is the money to buy the equipment and deploy the systems,
particularly at the state and local level, and we will not achieve this goal at
the present pace of system upgrades. Instead, it will require a commitment lead
by determined champions. Mr. Chairman, I urge this Committee to assume this
important role.
There are several reasons why the federal government must take the lead. As
we all know, homeland security is a federal, state and local responsibility, but
national planning begins at the federal level. This is one of the reasons why
the Congress and the President created the new Department of Homeland Security.
While we cannot predict future terrorist attacks, we must prepare for the
real possibility and threat. Also, we do know that we will face natural
disasters such as hurricanes, tornados, wildfires, and earthquakes and other
threats such as hostage takings, hazardous materials spills, and train wrecks.
Interoperable public safety communications is critical to effective response in
all these cases.
With the states facing a staggering $80 billion aggregated deficit in 2004
alone, they cannot be expected to accomplish this goal without substantial
federal support. Accordingly, we need a well-funded, multi-year federal program
that guarantees that this communication problem is fixed, once and for all.
Consequently, we must work aggressively to increase the funds devoted to
interoperable communications now and until the job is done. Nothing should be
allowed to delay or impede this funding effort. At the present time, combining
fiscal year '03 base and supplemental appropriations, about $5B has been
appropriated for various grant programs for state and local first responders.
While wireless communications is one of a number of allowed uses for these
funds, only about $154M or 3% of the total was designated in the legislation
specifically for wireless communications enhancements. We would ask for your
help to increase the sums designated for wireless communications in light of the
broad consensus that exists for improving the status of wireless communications
interoperability among government entities.
We certainly cannot afford the human costs associated with delaying
achievement of full interoperability.
Mr. Chairman, ensuring that our nation's public safety officials have the
tools they need to protect our citizens in the years ahead is a sound investment
for the entire country. We urge this Committee to clear spectrum for public
safety and to invest in interoperability for all public safety radio users.
Motorola pledges its support to our public safety customers and to this
Committee to help you make this happen.
Thank you.
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