The road ahead

Of course, there are significant challenges ahead for FirstNet. Everyone involved in the project realizes that the $7 billion in funding provided by Congress — an unprecedented amount for public-safety communications — still is not nearly enough to blanket the nation with LTE coverage, especially in a manner that meets public safety's performance and resiliency requirements.

Contrary to much industry speculation, Farrill said that no final decisions have been made regarding network-deployment partners or exactly what the potential user base will be.

Getting any new organization established is difficult, but it is especially tough when trying to build such a massive project surrounded by such high expectations for action and performance.

During the February meeting of the FirstNet board, Ginn remembered his first thoughts after being appointed as chairman last August.

"As a board, we exist, but we have no employees, we have no bylaws, we have essentially no approved budgets — we had nothing," he said. "We've had to start from a clean sheet of paper to create what you've seen today. I think we've done a pretty good job of getting to where we are."

One encouraging sign is that board members from different backgrounds appear to be developing respect for each other. For example, public-safety board members have publicly applauded non-public-safety members for their willingness to visit communications centers in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and to undergo firefighter training to better understand the needs of responders in that sector. In addition, they have expressed appreciation for the aggressive deployment acumen that many of the private-sector board members have.

"I think that, since we began this process, we're going about it in the right way," FirstNet board member Paul Fitzgerald said during the February meeting. "We're making strides that I couldn't have fathomed a while ago.

"I remember the comment that [fellow FirstNet board member] Chuck Dowd emphasized when we first met here last August, that we don't want to be standing around in the chute instead of having some action. As it turned out, with the help of the private sector — who knows how to build this network — it's just skyrocketed."

With the board established, a general manager almost hired, an opportunity for pilot projects to be deployed and a grant program in place that will let states participate in the planning process (see story, page 6), FirstNet appears positioned to make significant strides during 2013.

Of course, 2013 will be just the first of several years of network buildout for the massive broadband project. If the FirstNet board can meet its expectations and those of the first-responder community, it will have a profound impact inside and outside the U.S., according to Ginn.

"If we are successful in building this network, my prediction is that — 10 years from now — we will revolutionize how public safety does its job," he said.

• Read the "Satellite expected to play a vital role in FirstNet" sidebar to learn more.