In Order (FCC 07-199), the FCC acted on an application from the Public Safety Spectrum Trust Corp. (PSSTC), granting the group permission to become the 700 MHz Public Safety Broadband Licensee (PSBL). PSSTC was the only organization to file an application for the license, and was a major advocate of the concept of a single licensee for the spectrum.
PSSTC met the FCC's requirements which stated that no commercial interest may be held in or participate in the management of the PSBL; it must nonprofit; it must be as broadly representative of the public safety community as possible; and it had to submit written certifications from at least 10 geographically diverse state and local government entities in support of its candidacy.
PSBL responsibilities include promotion of the broadband spectrum needs of public safety entities, negotiation the service agreement with the D Block auction winner, administration of access to the 700 MHz public safety broadband network, assessment of usage fees, and approval of equipment and applications used by public safety entities.
The licensee is also responsible for oversight of the relocation of 700 MHz public safety narrowband operations; review of requests for early local buildouts and wideband waiver requests, management of the internal guard band between public safety broadband and narrowband operations, and management of priority access to commercial broadband spectrum in the D Block during emergencies
The FCC noted that PSSTC acknowledged in its application that both the D Block auction winner and the PSBL must conduction negotiations and ensure that the relationship between the two organizations is "permeated by good faith."
