By Sara Jerome
for TheHill.com

The death of Osama bin Laden could sway the debate over an expensive communications network for police and firefighters, analysts say.

Public-safety advocates welcomed President Obama’s announcement of bin Laden’s death Sunday night and reiterated their calls for Congress to swiftly devote a valuable chunk of airwaves to an emergency network that they say would have prevented the deaths of many first responders in the 9/11 attacks.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), who has made the communications network his top priority this year, called for a renewed focus on making sure public safety agencies get speedy broadband so they can talk to each other in the event of similar attacks.

“The events of the last 24 hours have put the losses suffered 10 years ago by firefighters, police and other first responders back on the front page. This country owes these American heroes for making the ultimate sacrifice. Our public safety officials are always there for us and we have to be there for them. Lives were likely lost in the World Trade Center tragedy because of poor communications,” he said.

He called on lawmakers to support his plan, endorsed by the White House, that would devote a swath of airwaves to public safety.

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