FirstNet board initiates public-notice proceeding on relationship with ‘opt-out’ states
What is in this article?
FirstNet board initiates public-notice proceeding on relationship with ‘opt-out’ states
As described in a FirstNet press release, other non-funding issues addressed in the public notice include:
- “Technical requirements for equipment to be used on the network, including open standards for connectivity and device competition;
- The nature and application of FirstNet network policies, including those that aim to preserve interoperability in states and territories that assume responsibility for building and operating a RAN;
- The governor’s decision to assume RAN responsibility, and the roles and responsibilities of states and FirstNet throughout the process; and
- Customer and operational considerations regarding state or territory assumption of RAN responsibility.”
As with FirstNet’s public-notice proceeding last fall, the preliminary legal interpretations are those of the FirstNet staff and do not represent the opinion of the FirstNet board, which ultimately will make the policy decisions on the matters.
“I want to emphasize very clearly that this is the beginning of the discussion and not the final pronouncement of a decision,” Swenson said.
FirstNet’s web site includes a copy of the public notice and a list of frequently asked questions about the proceeding.
FirstNet hopes that the public notice will be published in the Federal Register “in the next couple of days,” after which commenters will have 30 days to submit filings, Swenson said. Comments in this proceeding will be made public, according to FirstNet officials.
During the press conference, Kupinsky declined to speculate when the FirstNet board would make a decision about policies associated with questions associated with the second notice. However, such policies need to be in place before FirstNet issues its final request for proposal (RFP), he said
FirstNet Acting Executive Director TJ Kennedy reiterated FirstNet’s plan to release its draft RFP by the end of the month but declined to comment when the final RFP would be issued.
Why would any State allow the
Why would any State allow the federal government or it’s idiot creation “First Net” to steal funding from it? Since when is any law that legislates theft on this scale even legal? Who cares about whether First Net even exists and the bigger question, why should it exist?
I’m in agreement with your
I’m in agreement with your line of questioning… If a State so chooses to OPT-OUT and create it’s own First Responder/ Public Safety Net then the State should be the only one to get a return from those who it leases too. There is no justification for passing any funds gained from State to Federal government when the State has funded it’s own network. Aside from licensing the bandwidth as commercial cellular companies do that should be the only expense that the Federal government can charge the State. Any other “fees” that the Feds would sanction against the State (ie: the State’s customer base leasing fees) would be an act of extortion…. Just saying..
Police do not need or want
Police do not need or want firstnet. It is a boondoggle of massive scale. 7000 Million dollars and they dont have enough money? And that is just to build it. Keeping it going is another thing. Graft.Corruption. Hands in the till. Quarter million cushy jobs for connected lawyer cronies. Let each state run their own net and keep Washington out of it. Fold this miss now.
Previous comments are
Previous comments are ridiculous. It costs a state nothing to have Firstnet build a network in the state. Agencies in the state are not required to use Firstnet, so if it is no good, they can lease or build their own. On the other hand, if a state opts out, they have to finance and build their own network, and presumably they will want to force all their first responders onto that network, whether it is good or bad. The money to be made by leasing out 10 MHz of 700 Mhz when it is not needed for first responders is not going to generate much revenue, even if the state gets to keep the revenue.