An article (Senate Panel Debates Emergency Broadband Network) caught my eye yesterday; it outlined the beginning of a saga about whether or not to use federal resources to build an emergency broadband network or to sell those resources. At issue is whether spectrum, which is being freed up by the transition among television broadcasters to a digital signal from analog, should be used for the creation of a national emergency broadband network as opposed to sold to the highest bidder.

There appear to be (at least) four sides to the debate:

• Some folks want to earmark the spectrum for an emergency broadband network, including Cyren Call, a compnay that would like to lead the effort to create to create the network.

• Some folks feel that the federal government would be better off with the revenue from selling the spectrum.

• Some folks question the need for more broadband for an emergency national netowrk and propose making better use of existing spectrum. (Apparently emergency services currently have 49.7 megahertz; the debate here is about 30 megahertz.)

• Some folks are wary that private businesses are suggesting that the spectrum be earmarked only so that they can profit by getting involved in the project.

While the specifics of an emergency broadband network are fairly new to me and it’s been years since I’ve heard much about spectrum for any use – the issues sounded very similar to those that arise with municipal broadband networks. It was interesting to see the similarities and the differences.