FirstNet highlights opportunities to communicate with potential offerors during conference

Although the question-and-answer process has resulted in numerous changes to the FirstNet RFP, most of them have been administrative in nature or have involved clarifying concepts, Callahan said.

“We have not changed our strategy,” she said.

Mitchell emphasized that potential bidders are invited to be as creative as possible in their proposals and can “make as much [money] as you want” from the broadband capacity in the FirstNet system, as long as FirstNet’s public-safety objective are met.

“There are no hidden requirements,” Mitchell said. “It’s not like we’re trying to pull one over on you guys.

“It’s very simple. We have 16 objectives, and in those objectives, we ask for a lot of things for public safety that we think are important. And far be it for us to hem you into a position where you can’t be creative and innovative in how you respond to that.”

FirstNet CEO Mike Poth echoed this sentiment during his presentation to potential bidders.

“The only way that public safety and FirstNet will be successful is if you are,” Poth said.

Poth said he is “cautiously optimistic” that FirstNet will get “some great offerings” during the RFP process and thanked interested parties for their efforts. However, Poth said it is important that industry, FirstNet and states/territories not get so involved in the “art of the deal” that they lose focus on the primary goal of providing first responders with important communications.

“Everything we do—and by ‘we,’ I mean FirstNet, public safety, the states and industry—should be [viewed through] the lens of what’s in the best interest of public safety,” he said.