Cyren Call proposed that the FCC should reallocate 30 MHz of the 36 MHz set aside for commercial spectrum to a single licensee, to be called the “Public Safety Broadband Trust.”(EDIT:name changed to Public Safety Spectrum Trust at a later date) The PSBT will build a national wireless broadband network dedicated to public safety use.

Of course, public safety entities alone could not possible hope to bear the cost of building such a network. So a third party — such as Cyren Call — would offer to lend a hand. In exchange for constructing and managing the network, Cyren Call would lease space on the network for commercial users.

What a bargain! The government gets a tax-free public safety network, and puts all that empty spectrum into productive use. And without any of the messiness of auctions or competition! Are those guys at Cyren civic minded or what?

Frequent readers will no doubt recognize this as a classic “magic bean” scam. Cyren Call offers the public safety community these great magic beans in exchange for all this wortheless spectrum. But, since this isn’t a fairy tale, the “magic beans” do not grow up to a pot of gold on some cloud. Instead, the public gets a few scrawny bean plants while Cyren Call runs off with the spectrum cash cow.

the FCC should reallocate 30 MHz of the 36 MHz set aside for commercial spectrum to a single licensee