FirstNet cybersecurity demands just one area that potential opt-out states should weigh carefully
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FirstNet cybersecurity demands just one area that potential opt-out states should weigh carefully
Remember, a nationwide public-safety broadband network is unprecedented, so there is no “playbook” that can be used to make projections. Even if such a playbook existed, it may be of little use in the cybersecurity arena, which is a nascent sector that is evolving constantly in sophistication and innovation.
We don’t know the details of FirstNet’s cybersecurity policies, but my guess is that remedies typically will be formulated and mandated at the FirstNet/contractor level, not by opt-out states. Opt-out states will be able to determine how fast a cybersecurity update is implemented within their borders, but I’m not sure that’s the kind of “control” that many opt-out proponents have envisioned.
These challenges are not just limited to cybersecurity; they are applicable to the entire network. FirstNet plans to have its network evolve with the latest and greatest wireless broadband technologies, and opt-out states must follow the same path.
As a result, the RAN in an opt-out state will not be a 4G LTE network that remains static for 15 years or longer, as is the case with many statewide LMR networks. Instead, an upgrade to 5G technology could occur in the early 2020s, and some sort of 6G (maybe even 7G) technology will need to be deployed before the 25-year opt-out obligation expires.
What will the upgrades do and how much will they cost? There is some visibility about what 5G will look like, but the standards beyond that have not even been contemplated. It is reasonable to expect that each new generation of technology will require more sites to deliver greater data throughput, but any cost estimate would be little more than a wild guess. However, everyone agrees that these generational upgrades will not be cheap.
What also can be expected is that the network upgrade timeline will be determined by FirstNet and its contractor. Perhaps opt-out states and their contractors would have some input, but it is hard to imagine a scenario in which an upgrade would be delayed because an opt-out state/contractor was experiencing rough economic times and could not afford to make the network-upgrade investment.
Once again, having to follow a technology-upgrade timetable dictated by FirstNet and its contractor does not sound like the kind of “control” that representatives advocating an opt-out choice are describing.
As is the case with FirstNet at the national level, an opt-out state RAN deployment would be funded largely on the revenues generated by a state contractor selling network services commercially on a secondary basis. It’s a straightforward proposition in concept, but it is much more complicated on a practical level, because there is considerable uncertainty surrounding contracts with highly coveted enterprise customers.
FirstNet officials have stated that they have been talking with federal-government agencies about subscribing to the network on a nationwide basis. What’s not clear is whether an opt-out state would be entitled to any revenue from such subscriptions, but it is difficult to imagine that such agencies would be inclined to cut a separate subscription deal with each opt-out state.