Arizona changes deadline for public-safety LTE proposals to Nov. 30

Arizona postponed until Nov. 30 the deadline for vendors to submit bids for the state’s request for proposals (RFP) to build a public-safety LTE radio access network (RAN), and another postponement is a “very good possibility,” if FirstNet has not announced its nationwide award by late November, according to a state official.

When Arizona released the RFP, the vendor submission deadline originally was scheduled to be today. Vendors were informed during the Oct. 20 pre-bid meeting that the deadline would be extended, and the Nov. 30 date was set last week, according to Timothy Chung, an assistant director for the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Arizona is the second state—joining Alabama—to postpone its public-safety LTE procurement process in the wake of Rivada Networks announcing that it would not bid on state RFPs until after FirstNet makes its decision on a nationwide contractor. However, Arizona designated the Nov. 30 deadline, while Alabama officials decided that RFP submissions would be due 15 days after FirstNet makes its announcement.

“According to our state procurement office, we need to have a specific date identified,” Chung said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications.

If FirstNet does not make its announcement by the latter part of November, there is a “very good possibility” that Arizona would change the submission date again, Chung said.

Chung said the pre-bid conference went “very well” and that he is encouraged by the early industry reaction to the state’s public-safety LTE procurement.

“We’ve had significant interest and very positive feedback—so far, so good,” he said.