BOSTON—Federal regulators have granted the city of Boston a special waiver, giving police, fire and other emergency workers access to vacant public safety broadband spectrum.
The move is designed to speed communications between first responders during a natural disaster or terrorist attack.
Sen. John Kerry said the state's congressional delegation lobbied the Federal Communications Commission for the waiver, saying Boston wanted to avoid some of the communication problems that plagued fire, police and emergency workers in New York City during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The Massachusetts Democrat said he hopes the FCC will expand the broadband access waiver to other parts of the state.
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