City of Los Angeles ends LA-RICS membership, plans to build own LMR system

With the revamped LA-RICS LTE system, the $117 million system funded primarily by a Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP) grant requires a 17.35% cash match from LA-RICS, according to the city report. If the city of Los Angeles were a member of LA-RICS responsible for 30% of that cash match, it would cost the city about $7 million—a figure that could increase by another $1 million, if the full $154 million BTOP grant is used for LTE.

Meanwhile, the city’s potential financial liability was even greater with the proposed LA-RICS P25 network, particularly if the system is not funded primarily with Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) grants, according to the city report. With the LMR deployment currently projected to cost $149 million—the figure could increase after environmental reviews are done—the city of Los Angeles could be responsible for paying up to $45 million.

In contrast, the city of Los Angeles can upgrade its existing LMR network at a projected cost of just $18 million using its existing tower sites, which will allow it to complete the new standalone P25 network before its current LMR systems reach “end of life” and are no longer supported by the city’s vendor, Motorola Solutions, according to the city report.

Interoperability with other LMR systems in the region—the new LA-RICS network and the Interagency Communications Interoperability System (ICIS) serving cities that include Glendale, Burbank and Beverly Hills—would be done via a “system of systems” approach, presumably using ISSI and CSSI links.

“The ‘system of systems’ approach for a voice radio system/LMR system will provide significant cost savings and will allow the City to own, operate, control, and maintain its own system, while still being interoperable with other systems like LA-RICS,” the city report states.

In addition, by not being a member of LA-RICS, the city of Los Angeles could realize additional revenue from city-owned sites being used in the LA-RICS public-safety LTE network, according to the city report.

“On November 12, 2014, the City Council approved a master site access agreement (SAA) between the City and the [LA-RICS] Authority (C.F. 12-0590-S3),” the city report states. “The SAA allows LA-RICS to access, construct, integrate and maintain a Public Safety Broadband Network (PSBN) at City sites for a term not to exceed 15 years.

“The SAA does not contemplate the Authority providing compensation to the City for access and use of the property; however, the SAA does allow the City to renegotiate the terms and conditions of the SAA after five years in the event the City chooses not to participate in the LTE system. The SAA also includes a provision wherein if the Authority offers more favorable terms to another jurisdiction, the Authority will notify the City and provide the City with the option to amend the SAA to include more favorable terms.”

One key piece of information not known at this time is how much LA-RICS will charge public-safety agencies from non-member cities to utilize the new LTE network. Those subscriber rates are expected to be established before the LTE system becomes fully operational in January, according to the city report.