FirstNet extends comment period on cybersecurity public notice to Oct. 21

Those wanting to respond to FirstNet’s cybersecurity public notice will have an extra weekend and three business days to prepare their filings, as FirstNet yesterday extended the submission deadline in the proceeding to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

On Monday, FirstNet released a public notice outlining its proposed cybersecurity requirements with an initial submission deadline of 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16. With the extension announced yesterday, commenters will have 16 days to respond to the FirstNet public notice instead of the original 11-day period.

In August, FirstNet officials speaking during the organization’s Industry Day and at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) conference indicated that the FirstNet cybersecurity strategy—one of two key sections not included in the draft request for proposal (RFP) released in April—would be released in September.

Glenn Zimmerman, FirstNet’s senior security architect, emphasized that FirstNet is seeking responses that propose innovative solutions that are “going to essentially rock the cyber world.”

However, FirstNet did not release the cybersecurity public notice until Monday afternoon. Earlier this week, FirstNet spokesman Ryan Oremland acknowledged that the organization had received “a number of requests for additional time” to filing submissions in the cybersecurity proceeding.

During last week’s FirstNet board meeting, new CEO Mike Poth said that FirstNet remains on track to release the final RFP by the end of the year, but he acknowledged that the RFP could be released early in 2016, if additional time is needed to address key aspects of the document that could impact its success.