Anticipation increases as FirstNet-proposal countdown hits the one-week mark

“It’s safe to say that [FirstNet cybersecurity officials] are kind of like kids at Christmas: We know Christmas is coming, we see stuff starting to show up under the Christmas tree, and we’re kind of excited to see what may be coming shortly.”

—FirstNet’s Brian Kassa, referencing the anticipation associated with offeror proposals, which are due on May 31

One week to go. That is all the time that is left until proposals are due from bidding teams—known as offerors—seeking the right build and maintain a nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN) outlined in FirstNet’s request for proposals (RFP).

Brian Kassa compares the anticipation level to Christmas, which is appropriate on many levels. But it actually is greater than that. After all, Christmas happens every year. In contrast, the public-safety community has been waiting for this network:

• For four years, since Congress passed legislation establishing FirstNet in 2012;
• For eight years, since the FCC’s failed 700 MHz D Block auction left the Public Safety Spectrum Trust without a commercial partner in 2008;
• For 10 years, since Nextel Communications co-founder Morgan O’Brien proposed the idea of dedicated broadband spectrum for a nationwide public-safety network in 2006.
• For almost 15 years, since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which led to the recommendations in the 9/11 Commission report—all of which have be done, except creating a nationwide, interoperable network for public safety, which FirstNet has been charged to complete.

While the FirstNet RFP proposal deadline is May 31, exactly what we learn next Tuesday is uncertain. Hopefully, FirstNet at least will acknowledge publicly whether it has received proposals, much as it did when potential offerors submitted capability statements almost two months ago. At that time, FirstNet stated that it received capability statements from multiple offerors, but it did not identify them.

That may not sound like much information, but such a statement next week would be significant.

First, if FirstNet does not receive any bids, then the entire initiative would have to be scrapped and the shock waves would be enormous on all levels. The good news is that this likely will not be an issue, as multiple entities have expressed their intention to submit proposals.

Second, if FirstNet does receive proposals that meet the objectives of the RFP, then it should be well on the path to being the self-sustaining entity that Congress envisioned four years ago. That’s because the FirstNet RFP uses an ingenious approach that requires the winning offeror—also known as the contractor—to pay FirstNet a fixed fee annually for 25 years to fund FirstNet’s ongoing operations and potentially provide funds to pay for technology upgrades to the system, even if public-safety adoption of the system is minimal.

In other words, if FirstNet says it has received proposals, state and local governments that still may have a wait-and-see attitude about FirstNet need to shift their strategy quickly, so they are prepared to make some very consequential decisions regarding their potential involvement in the proposed NPSBN.