Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is one of the most important government agencies for public safety. They regulate the radio spectrum and the telephone system, including 911 and 311. The commissioners attitudes and their collective decisions affect almost every aspect of the profession.

In December 2006 the FCC re-organized its various Bureaus, creating a single agency to handle public safety-related matters (Public Safety & Homeland Security), which had previously been farmed out to the appropriate bureau (wireless, common carrier, etc.). The FCC's Web site has many areas of interest for those in public safety communications, but the primary pages are:

• the main FCC search site - an impressive, easy and flexible method for finding rules, regulations, filed comments and more. You can create RSS links to specific dockets or commenters.
• the 911 page - all matters related to the 911 emergency number, including wireless E911 (Phase I/II)
• the Public Safety & Homeland Security page - radio issues, including 700 MHz allocation, 800 MHz regional plans
• FCC's Clearinghouse Web page of various reference information

Wireless Links - scores of great links to the FCC's radio resources

1996 Telecom Act

FCC Rules

U.S. Code (CFR) overall U.S. laws

Federal Register record of Congressional actions

Spectrum Allocations

the FCC's database search tools - great for finding things! Check here specifically for comments, petitions filed from public safety organizations (APCO, NENA, etc.), companies and individual. Check here for an advanced search form to find documents by docket number and other criteria.

Trends in the U.S. International Telecommunications Industry

Trends in Telephone Service

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) has an excellent--but necessarily one-sided--view of the FCC, the FBI and the CALEA legislation related to wireless telephone tracking. Their site contains many good summaries of the legislation, links to relevant government Web sites and, of course, their point of view on wiretapping and cellular tracking.

When the FCC tackles a project or issue, it creates a so-called "docket" number that identifies any and all paperwork that it issues on that subject, and which is also stamped on any paperwork (comments, petitions, etc.) submitted by public safety agencies or companies related to the project. You can use these docket numbers to track down documents and information from the FCC's Web site databases. Here is a list of the current FCC projects that have some public safety connection: