A coalition of public safety stakeholders have worked together to try to repeal the provision to auction the spectrum contained in section 6103 of P.L. 112-96 February 22, 2012).  The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) has been a leader in this process.  NPSTC conducted two studies on the feasibility of public safety moving out of the spectrum.  The studies confirmed that in five of the eleven metropolitan areas impacted there is no alternate spectrum in which to move.  In 2018, the General Accountability Office (GAO) agreed with NPSTC's findings and concluded that the Congressionally mandated auction of those frequencies should be reconsidered.

In December 2019, and again in May 2020, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Pai called for repealing the T-band auction.  His statement is consistent with NPSTC and public safety calls for repeal of section 6103 for the last six years and is consistent with the GAO report on T-Band.  NPSTC has been a leader in calling for the repeal of section 6103 and the need for public safety to be able to keep the spectrum.  More recently, Commissioner Rosenworcel has also called on Congress to repeal the auction provision.

This action finally removes the cloud of uncertainty facing public safety licensees who have T-Band systems.  Prior to this action, licensees did not know whether to enhance their T-Band systems or prepare to replace them.  Hundreds of licensees in the top eleven markets in this country were affected with the possibility of losing critical communications capacity.  The decision to allow public safety to retain the T-Band was not only the right thing to do, it will assure the continued safety of millions of citizens by retaining necessary communications links for first responders.

NPSTC thanks Chairman Pai, the GAO, Commissioner Rosenworcel, and the Congressional backers of the many attempts to get legislation supporting public safety maintaining this critical T-Band spectrum.