Michigan becomes latest state to issue RFP for public-safety LTE; Colorado bid expected soon

In addition, the RFP expresses the state’s interest in determining the feasibility of “sharing a backhaul broadband network that will support a statewide Emergency Services Internet Protocol (IP) network (ESInet)” for next-generation 911 as an “adjunct” to the public-safety RAN rollout.

Michigan’s public-safety LTE procurement is the fourth RFP issued by a state in association with FirstNet. The state of New Hampshire selected Rivada Networks as its vendor after completing its procurement last year. Alabama received three bids in response to its RFP but has not selected a winner. Bids for Arizona’s RFP are due on March 30.

Colorado could be next, according to Brian Shepherd, the state’s single point of contact (SPOC).

“We hope to release the in late March or early April,” Shepherd said in a prepared e-mail statement provided IWCE’s Urgent Communications.

As with other states that have issued RFPs, Colorado officials indicate that they are conducting the procurement to provide the state’s governor with an alternative when determining whether to accept the state deployment plan presented by FirstNet and its nationwide partner. These state plans are scheduled to be distributed six months after the nationwide award is made, and each governor will have 90 days to make the “opt-out” decision.

“Our goal has always been to provide as comprehensive an analysis as possible when it comes to the opt-in/out decision,” Shepherd said in the statement. “We believe, in order to accomplish this, we must have two fully vetted options, so we understand the pros and cons of each. This RFP will allow us to clearly understand what opting out would look like.”

Last Friday, U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Elaine Kaplan issued favorable rulings to the U.S. government in Rivada Mercury’s protest of the procurement findings associated with the FirstNet nationwide contract. With the case decided, FirstNet is expected to award the nationwide contract to AT&T, possibly within the next week.