The Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) recently released a Report & Order that implements changes to the rules governing the 700 MHz public safety narrowband spectrum (769-775/799-805 MHz). The Commission eliminated the requirement for narrowbanding of the spectrum by December 2016, and noted that doing so will enable licensees to extend the life of existing systems and provide public safety with greater flexibility in determining the optimal future use of the band. The FCC also revised and updated the band’s technical rules to improve interoperability and open up certain channels to new uses, and released reserve spectrum to provide additional capacity.
