FirstNet begins post-bid evaluation process after proposal deadline passes

FirstNet announced that it will be “moving forward” with its evaluation process after the passage of today’s deadline for proposals from offeror teams willing to build and maintain a nationwide public-safety broadband network.

“The deadline for proposals has now closed,” according to a prepared statement from a FirstNet spokesperson. “We are moving forward in the evaluation process. We are excited to have met this major RFP milestone and remain on track to award in November.”

FirstNet declined any further comment about the RFP process. Multiple sources indicated that providing any detail about the number of bidders would not comply with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rules, which FirstNet is using throughout the procurement process.

Although FirstNet declined to identify any company involved in the bidding, one expected offeror—Rivada Networks—confirmed that it submitted a proposal to FirstNet.

“Rivada Networks, together with our partners and team members, submitted our proposal to FirstNet on Friday,” Rivada Networks CEO Declan Ganley said in the statement. “It’s been an honor to participate in this vital public mission and respond to such a meticulous and well-thought-out RFP. We are confident that the result of this process will be the construction of the nationwide network that our first responders deserve.

“Today’s deadline is a major milestone on the road to fulfilling the last outstanding recommendation of the 9/11 Commission. FirstNet has a lot to be proud of.”

Rivada Networks officials believe its proposal is “100% compliant” with the FirstNet RFP, according to Rivada Networks spokesman Brian Carney.

AT&T was another company that expressed its intent to submit a FirstNet proposal, but the carrier declined to comment when asked about the subject today.

Motorola Solutions CEO Greg Brown has said that his company plans to “participate” in the FirstNet procurement, but the company has not indicated whether it will lead an offeror team or be part of a team led by another entity.

Two other companies reported to be interested in submitting FirstNet bids were Verizon and pdvWireless, but neither company returned calls from IWCE’s Urgent Communications seeking comment on the matter.

Verizon officials have been quiet throughout the FirstNet RFP process, but multiple market analysts have issued reports that the nationwide carrier would submit a bid, with one analyst identifying Verizon as the favorite to win the contract. Verizon holds the license to the 700 MHz Band 13 spectrum that is adjacent to FirstNet’s 20 MHz of Band 14 airwaves, and—like AT&T—would benefit from the fact that FirstNet’s Band 14 would not count against a carrier’s frequency holdings in future spectrum-cap regulatory proceedings.

In contrast, pdvWireless is just getting started on its network-deployment efforts, having rolled out LMR systems in seven U.S. cities on interleaved 900 MHz spectrum formerly owned by Sprint. But pdvWireless has asked the FCC to approved a plan that would let the company pay for rebanding its spectrum into a nationwide 3x3MHz swath that could support private broadband networks for critical-infrastructure entities, including utilities.