FirstNet begins webinar series with state points of contact

FirstNet officials recently conducted the first in its series of quarterly webinars with designated state points of contacts (SPOCs) that are designed to ensure that each of the 56 states and territories have up-to-date information about the plans to deploy a much-anticipated nationwide broadband network for first responders.

TJ Kennedy, FirstNet’s deputy general manager, said the webinar provided guidance to SPOCs about some of the information that FirstNet representatives will ask from them when meetings with individual states and territories begin.

“We did the big regional consultations last year,” Kennedy said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “But, as far as individual states, we’re looking to create a list of detailed criteria—like the example that’s in [the slide presentation that was part of the webinar]—so that states know all the things they need to do to start consultation. Once they’re ready to do that, that will let them know that they’re ready, and we can get those scheduled in the next few months.”

FirstNet has not established any “hard deadlines” to begin consultations with individual states and territories, because the organization wants to ensure that it has hired all of the staff necessary to execute such meetings, Kennedy said.

Although the slide presentation included an example of some things that states may want to do now to prepare for their consultation meetings with FirstNet, Kennedy stressed that the items shared should not be construed as the final list.

“That’s just an example list,” he said. “We haven’t come up with the final list of what’s required and what’s suggested; that’s just an example of things we’ve heard from states as we’ve talked to them.”

States and territories are using funding provided using Phase 1 funds from the State and Local Implementation Grant Program [SLIGP] being administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) that are focused on outreach with potential FirstNet customers in each jurisdiction. States and territories can begin to use grants associated with SLIGP Phase 2 when FirstNet determines what information it wants the jurisdictions to provide during individual consultations—the Phase 2 money can be used to pay for resources needed to gather this data.

FirstNet has not yet released the guidelines to launch the SLIGP Phase 2 process, and Kennedy said he is “not sure” whether these directives will be released during the first quarter of this year.