Petitioners Question FCC Plan to Open More Public Safety Spectrum to FirstNet

Judges pressed both sides in a legal dispute over whether the FCC can expand FirstNet’s access to additional public safety bands. In 2024, the FCC began exploring whether FirstNet, operated by AT&T, could use unassigned portions of the 4.9 GHz band, currently reserved for local public safety agencies.

The agency unanimously agreed to eventually appoint a band manager to oversee the spectrum and potentially negotiate sharing with FirstNet. It also requested usage data from current license holders and launched a recertification process expected to shrink some license areas.

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