[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 215 (Tuesday, November 6, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 66588]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27031]



[[Page 66588]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

[Docket No: 121031596-2596-01]
RIN 0660-XC003


Development of the Nationwide Interoperable Public Safety 
Broadband Network

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Inquiry; Reopening of Comment Period.

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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA) issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) on September 28, 2012, seeking 
public comment on two conceptual presentations made at the inaugural 
Board meeting of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) as 
well as to invite input on other network design and business plan 
considerations. The comment deadline was November 1, 2012, at 5 p.m. 
Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). NTIA has received several requests to 
extend the comment deadline from states and first responders that were 
impacted by the widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy. 
Therefore, NTIA issues this notice announcing that it is reopening the 
comment period and will accept comments responsive to the NOI until 5 
p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Friday, November 9, 2012. Comments 
received after the November 1, 2012, deadline until this notice is 
published reopening the comment period will be accepted.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than Friday, November 9, 2012 
at 5:00 p.m. EST.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted by email to 
[email protected]. Written comments also may be submitted by 
mail to: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., HCHB Room 
7324, Attn: FirstNet NOI, Washington, DC 20230. Please note that all 
material sent via the U.S. Postal Service (including ``Overnight'' or 
``Express Mail'') is subject to delivery delays of up to two weeks due 
to mail security procedures. Responders should include the name of the 
person or organization filing the comment, as well as a page number, on 
each page of their submissions. Paper submissions should also include a 
CD or DVD with an electronic version of the document, which should be 
labeled with the name and organizational affiliation of the filer. Do 
not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or 
protected information. All email messages and comments received are a 
part of the public record and will generally be posted without change 
to the NTIA Web site at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/federal-register-notice/2012/comments-nationwide-interoperable-public-safety-broadband-network-noi. All personal identifying information (e.g., name, address) 
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. 
Comments should not exceed 25 double-spaced pages.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Uzoma Onyeije, Senior Advisor for 
Public Safety, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW., Room 7324, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-0016; email: 
[email protected]. Please direct media inquiries to NTIA's Office 
of Public Affairs, (202) 482-7002.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 created 
the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) as an independent 
authority within NTIA and authorized it to take all actions necessary 
to ensure the building, deployment, and operation of a nationwide 
public safety broadband network (PSBN) based on a single, national 
network architecture.\1\
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    \1\ Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, Public 
Law 112-96, 126 Stat. 156 (2012) (Act); 47 U.S.C. 1422(b).
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    The FirstNet Board held its first public meeting on September 25, 
2012, during which it heard a presentation from FirstNet Board member 
Craig Farrill that outlined a possible framework for designing the 
public safety network architecture in a manner that leverages existing 
resources and infrastructure, as is contemplated in the Act.\2\ 
Additionally, FirstNet Board Chairman Sam Ginn also discussed a general 
concept for developing applications designed specifically for public 
safety users. These conceptual presentations mark a starting point for 
further discussions.
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    \2\ The presentation of the FNN concept is available for review 
on NTIA's Web site at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/firstnet_fnn_presentation_09-25-2012_final.pdf.
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    On behalf of the FirstNet Board, NTIA issued a NOI requesting 
public comment on these two conceptual presentations relating to 
network architecture and applications as well as to invite input on 
other network design and business plan considerations. Notice of 
Inquiry, 77 FR 60680 (Oct. 4, 2012). The NOI set a deadline for the 
submission of comments on November 1, 2012. Due to the severity of the 
impact from Hurricane Sandy, which resulted in a two-day closure of the 
Federal Government and forced the closure of many other government 
agencies and businesses across the East Coast, NTIA has received 
multiple requests asking for an extension of the comments deadline. In 
recognition of the need for impacted states to focus their attention 
and resources to address the widespread destruction caused by Hurricane 
Sandy, NTIA announces that it is reopening the comment period and will 
accept comments responsive to the NOI until 5 p.m. EST on Friday, 
November 9, 2012. Comments received after the November 1, 2012, 
deadline until the publication of this notice reopening the comment 
period will also be accepted. This extension is warranted to ensure 
that FirstNet receives input on these conceptual presentations from all 
interested stakeholders to better inform its efforts to establish the 
interoperable public safety broadband network called for under the Act.

    Dated: October 31, 2012.
Lawrence E. Strickling,
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information.
[FR Doc. 2012-27031 Filed 11-5-12; 8:45 am]
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