Motorola Solutions touts strength of LMR business, particularly in North America

Motorola Solutions is part of the AT&T team that won the FirstNet contract to build, maintain and upgrade the much-anticipated nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN). With the governors in all 50 states, five territories and the District of Columbia choosing to “opt-in” to the FirstNet system, all U.S. public-safety agencies now have the option to subscribe to FirstNet. but convincing them to do so is the next challenge, Brown said.

“In terms of FirstNet, our role hasn’t changed; we're still going to provide mission-critical software applications, LMR interoperability and services,” Brown said. “Now, the starter pistol's been fired, and it's all about subscriber load. We are pleased that all 56 states and territories opted in, but now it’s ‘game on.’

“Our current planning actually for this year on FirstNet revenues are about $20 million to $40 million (down from previous guidance of $40 million to $60 million.  

“I wouldn’t over interpret that one way or the other; in fact, I hope it’s above that. But just from a prudent planning standpoint, I wanted to set those goal posts as more reflective of where we're today—we just don’t know what we don’t know. The partnership with AT&T continues to work well and go well, but that's our expectation from a FirstNet standpoint at this point in time.”

Motorola Solutions also has won a contract to play a key role on the team that is charged with building and maintaining the public-safety LTE network—known as the Emergency Services Network (ESN)—in the United Kingdom. In addition, Motorola Solutions owns and operates Airwave, the nationwide TETRA system that is supposed to be replaced by the ESN by end of 2019.

There have been numerous media reports about potential delays to the deployment of the ESN, but Brown declined to comment on the timetable.

 “I don’t really have any current update at this point in time,” Brown said. “I’ll just say that we worked really closely with the UK Home Office, particularly in Q4, as they go through some of their planning and regeneration of timeline. Quite frankly, I thought the relationship has strengthened in the last several months.

“I think it would be more appropriate to let them announce any kind of changes to their schedule. What I will tell you is that the we’re not planning on—in our [2018] guidance—any material revenue contribution from ESN.”