Motorola exec: Save spectrum for emergency services

Governments need to allocate wireless spectrum to public safety in preparation for emergency situations, according to a Motorola Solutions executive.

In an interview with ZDNet UK's sister site ZDNet Asia on Wednesday, Jeppe Jepsen, director of international business relations at Motorola Solutions, likened broadband spectrum for public safety to hard shoulders where emergency vehicles can bypass traffic congestion. Without a dedicated spectrum, public safety officers will need to rely on public spectrum, which is often not at a mission-critical level and can be congested during times of emergency, he pointed out.

According to Jepsen, increasing demand from network operators for wireless spectrum as well as public safety organisations' lack of skills in lobbying for spectrum make it difficult for these organisations' voices to be heard. But while the auctioning of wireless spectrum to network operators can benefit the economy, authorities should still reserve some for public safety services, said Jepsen, who is also the Spectrum Group chairman of the Public Safety Communication Europe (PSC-Europe) forum.

For more on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see Expert: Allocate wireless spectrum for public safety on ZDNet Asia.