AT&T names Bugel as president of FirstNet unit

AT&T this week announced that longtime FirstNet advocate Jim Bugel will be the new president of the carrier’s FirstNet program—the unit charged with building and maintaining the nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN) for the FirstNet Authority—amid several changes in the company’s leadership.

Bugel will succeed Jason Porter, who has led AT&T’s FirstNet unit for the past three years and also has served as the president of AT&T’s public-sector business since early 2021. When the leadership changes become effective Sunday, Bugel will be president of the FirstNet program and will report to Zee Hussain, who is AT&T’s new public-sector president after leading AT&T enterprise sales teams in the healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation industries.

Porter has been reassigned to work in AT&T’s supply-chain division, according to a company spokesperson.

Bugel is very familiar with the FirstNet mission, having served as vice president of the FirstNet team since AT&T won the FirstNet contract in 2017 and having supported the 2012 legislation that created the FirstNet Authority.

“I’m honored to lead the FirstNet team at AT&T and carry on the responsibility of delivering the only network built with and for first responders. This work is more than a job; it’s a calling,” Bugel said in a prepared statement provided to IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “I’m proud to have worked alongside the nation’s public-safety leadership and Congress to pass the legislation that led to public safety’s own network. And I’m excited to continue to transform the future of public-safety communications, helping keep our first responders mission-ready and the communities they serve safe.

“Jason Porter’s leadership and contributions have been instrumental in driving the success of FirstNet, and the entire team looks forward to continuing the momentum he shepherded in his three years at the helm.”

AT&T named Bugel to head the company’s FirstNet unit at an interesting time in the program. AT&T is contracted to finish its initial five-year buildout of the NPSBN by the end of March 2023, so future system  enhancements will depend largely on the FirstNet Authority’s reinvestment efforts. The FirstNet Authority is conducting a search for a new CEO after the resignation of Ed Parkinson in the spring.

In addition, the FCC is considering the renewal of the FirstNet Authority’s license to the 700 MHz Band 14 spectrum, with a decision expected before next month’s 10-year anniversary of the license being granted in 2012. Many Beltway sources believe the FCC will establish new rules for the 4.9 GHz band—previously dedicated to public safety—that could have direct or indirect implications for FirstNet.

Several public-safety representatives applauded the choice of Bugel. Western Fire Chiefs Association CEO Jeff Johnson—a former vice chair for the FirstNet Authority—noted Bugel’s experience with FirstNet and detailed knowledge of the history surrounding the program.

“To me, Jim Bugel has been that constant thread, from the early days of FirstNet through today,” Johnson said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “I think those of us who are living and breathing FirstNet on a daily basis appreciate his contributions … Jim Bugel has been there for public safety, period.”

Public Safety Broadband Technology Association Vice President and Treasurer Dick Mirgon—a FirstNet consultant and a former APCO president who worked with Johnson and others to advocate for the 2012 legislation—echoed this sentiment.

“I think it’s an excellent choice,” Mirgon said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “There’s absolutely nobody who understands the intent, scope and purpose of this [FirstNet] program in AT&T better than [Bugel]. He was the guy who first pitched the idea of the public-private partnership within AT&T. He is immensely qualified.”

“Jim has been absolutely dedicated to the public-safety FirstNet mission since Day 1, since he first thought about the public-private partnership. This is as much about a commitment to first responders as it is to the program. He believes in first responders and what we do.”

Jim Pasco, executive director for the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), described the choice of Bugel as a “great pick,” lauding his collaborative abilities. Pasco said the FOP initially was skeptical of FirstNet and the choice of AT&T as the contractor to build the NPSBN, but that perspective has changed dramatically during the past few years.

“[FirstNet is] more than we expected, and candidly, we had to be converted, because we had our doubts through the process, and we weren’t sure if AT&T was the right choice for the award,” Pasco said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “That said, over the intervening period, we have been totally convinced and are now totally supportive of their efforts. This is due, in large part, to Jim’s ability to get the community together and get us all pulling in the same direction.

“We’ve made tremendous progress. With Jim as president of FirstNet, we look forward to that same of kind of progress being accelerated.”

Elsewhere within AT&T’s public-sector division, Jill Singer will continue  as vice president for defense and national security, while Chris Smith—vice president of civilian and shared services—also will be responsible for federal public-safety sales with the retirement of Stacy Schwartz. Joe Drygas is AT&T’s new vice president for state, local and education after serving as vice president for healthcare.