The Public Safety Next Generation 9-1-1 Coalition welcomes the joint letter released today from former chairs of the Federal Communications Commission urging congressional leadership to pass legislation to support the nationwide transition to NG9-1-1.
Nine former FCC chairs – from both Democratic and Republican administrations – wrote to Senate and House leadership, explaining why federal funding is urgently needed to deploy NG9-1-1 nationwide. The chairs noted an estimated $15 billion is required, whether from federal spectrum auction revenues or any other funding source.
“We appreciate the strong endorsement from this group of former FCC chairs,” Public Safety Next Generation 9-1-1 Coalition spokesman Mel Maier said. “Their expertise in communications policy, including what is needed to support national security and public safety, complements the collective knowledge of the Coalition’s public safety organizations on what is required to protect our nation’s communities and first responders. The NG9-1-1 legislation our Coalition helped draft was included in a spectrum auction bill (H.R. 3565) that passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously. This legislation is instrumental to modernizing 9-1-1 systems across the country and delivering essential cybersecurity resources for emergency communications centers. We agree that Congress should act swiftly to fund NG9‑1-1 to protect the safety and security of our nation.”
