"This is an opportunity to do something this country has needed for well over a decade," Irving said during a teleconference. "There aren't billions of dollars laying around," he added, emphasizing the difficulty of obtaining more funding through the budget process. "This auction brings that opportunity."

In November, the duo released a blueprint for ensuring that sufficient spectrum is available for emergency use. Now they are seeking to harness the unique opportunity presented by the auctioning of spectrum currently used by broadcasters to fund the plan.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the auction, part of the transition to digital TV signals, could raise $12.5 billion to $15 billion, but the former NTIA chiefs said it could draw up to $5 billion more. Half of the extra revenue would go to deficit reduction, and the other half to first responders under their approach.

"Virtually every spectrum auction that's ever been held in this nation has understated what was actually realized by the federal treasury," Irving said. To receive the money, state and local governments would provide matching grants.

The proposal would augment $1 billion that Congress already has reserved and an additional $3 billion in the appropriations pipeline.

Both Irving, who runs a telecom consulting firm and sits on Covad Communications' board, and Gallagher, who will soon step down as a partner in the Washington office of the Perkins Coie law firm to become president of the Entertainment Software Association, dismissed suggestions that the auction might be a dud. "We see very exciting components that are all aligned to make this a very successful auction," Gallagher said.

To raise more money, they would divert revenue from the federal excise tax on telephone bills toward emergency purposes before the tax is phased out by Washington. The duo has set a deadline of Sept. 11, 2011 -- 10 years after the devastating terror attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington -- for achieving full interoperability for first responders.

In their written proposal, they warn against "open access" restrictions, which would make portions of the auctioned airwaves available to smaller competitors on a wholesale basis. "Aside from stifling future innovation and potentially stranding the spectrum, it could potentially deprive public safety of the windfall funding source," they wrote.

Open access is emerging as a key flashpoint in the debate over how the frequencies -- considered "beachfront property" -- should be used. During the briefing, Irving and Gallagher said such access could devalue the spectrum and undermine their plan, but their proposal is not conditioned on barring it.