Before you sign a letter written for you, it’s a good idea to carefully review the contents so you don’t appear naïve.  The Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association recent letter to the FCC suggested that the 4.9 GHz band “should be allocated to the FirstNet Authority so that it may be available for use within the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network known as FirstNet. This will ensure that America’s sheriffs have the necessary spectrum for advanced communications to protect our citizens.”  Good grief! First, some experts have advised that the FCC does not have the authority to allocate this resource to FirstNet.  If they are correct, and no one has shown that they are wrong, there is no magic wand that would allow the FCC to turn the band over to FirstNet without Congressional action.  Want to bet when that might happen?  And will citizens actually lose public safety protection if FirstNet isn’t handed 4.9 GHz?  Who believes that?  And can we please cease with the “we don’t have any money” claims?  According to the Arkansas Sheriffs, the alternative to FirstNet would “require local funding to build and operate networks … that most agencies in the country simply cannot afford.”  I can’t believe that anyone would think such economic arguments are still effective today if they ever were. Pick your poison. Invest in a 4.9 GHz wireless solution that suits your specific local needs or pay a commercial carrier monthly to access a generic network.  Either way, it’s not free. ...Mark