https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • Product Guides
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookie Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • Product Guides
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

View From The Top


FirstNet is delivering more than we imagined

  • Written by
  • 14th September 2017
When Congress established FirstNet in 2012, many officials were worried that it charged with executing a big task with too few resources for a government agency to deliver. However, it now appears that FirstNet is delivering more than most imagined was possible.

What is in this article?

  • FirstNet is delivering more than we imagined
  • FirstNet is delivering more than we imagined
  • FirstNet is delivering more than we imagined

FirstNet is delivering more than we imagined

By Anna M. Gomez

As Deputy Administrator at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), I was privileged to work with tremendously talented people in the Obama administration and Congress to develop the proposals that would lead to the creation of a single nationwide broadband network for public safety. Our goal was to ensure that first responders—whether at the local, state, or national level—could communicate, despite jurisdictional boundaries and especially during emergency situations, when access to reliable communications is most critical. We ultimately determined that first responders needed a single, dedicated broadband network that would not only achieve these goals, but also provide first responders with access to the most advanced communications technologies.

Congress then gave us—as part of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Spectrum Act)—the First Responder Network Authority (or FirstNet) and assigned 20 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band (Band Class 14) to achieve this vision. It is humbling and gratifying not only to watch our efforts come to fruition but to see a result that is even better than what we had imagined was possible.

As the proposal for a nationwide public-safety broadband network took shape, we identified numerous challenges, including:

  • How to deploy a nationwide network that would be sustainable for years to come without breaking the bank?
  • How to ensure that the network would work for public safety when and where they need it?
  • How to establish coverage in hard to reach areas?
  • And, most importantly, how to achieve these goals without making public safety wait a decade for results?

FirstNet sought to address these challenges by issuing an innovative, “objectives-based” request for proposals (RFP), in which it challenged potential bidders to meet 16 objectives developed with input from public safety—objectives that FirstNet deemed AT&T (disclosure: AT&T is a client of Wiley Rein), its winning bidder, satisfied.

FirstNet will not break the bank

Congress provided $7 billion to cover network costs, state planning grants, opt-out state grants, and FirstNet’s administrative expenses. After expenses, that left approximately $6.5 billion to fund the deployment of the network, whether by FirstNet or the “opt-out” states. In a 2015 report, the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimated that it could cost up to $47 billion over the first 10 years to construct and operate the FirstNet network.

Congress—recognizing that far more than $6.5 billion would be required—authorized FirstNet to address the shortfall in two ways.  First, Congress directed FirstNet to leverage commercial infrastructure to the “maximum extent economically desirable.” [legal citation: 47 U.S.C. § 1426(c)(3)]  Second, Congress authorized FirstNet to enter into “covered leasing agreements,” under which FirstNet could partner with a commercial provider to deploy, operate, and maintain the FirstNet network in exchange for the ability to use—on a secondary basis, with public safety as the primary user—excess Band Class 14 network capacity.  [47 U.S.C. § 1428(a)(2)(B)]

FirstNet saw the business opportunity presented by Congress and structured its RFP accordingly. At every public meeting I attended, FirstNet touted the opportunity for its industry partner to access the FirstNet spectrum in exchange for deploying, managing, and operating the FirstNet network.

It’s unclear how many entities submitted bids, but we know of at least three: AT&T, Rivada Networks and pdvWireless. All three were attracted, in large measure, by opportunities presented from having access to the FirstNet spectrum.

In the end, FirstNet selected AT&T, which agreed to spend approximately $40 billion over 25 years to deploy, maintain, and operate the nationwide public-safety broadband network. AT&T also committed to offering FirstNet subscribers access to its commercial LTE network, which currently covers more than 99% of Americans. Without offering access to its excess Band Class 14 capacity, FirstNet likely would have been unable to find an industry partner willing and able to undertake the massive challenge of deploying and maintaining a FirstNet network that would be sustainable in the long term.

FirstNet will deploy a reliable, nationwide, interoperable network

The very purpose of FirstNet is to ensure that public-safety subscribers can communicate at any time in a highly secure manner—anywhere and with anyone. And FirstNet has a staff of more than 200 employees with expertise in public safety, telecommunications, finance, procurement, and other areas whose sole focus is completing this mission.

1 | 2 | 3 |
FirstNet is delivering more than we imagined
Tags: Commentary Funding Interoperability Long Term Evolution (LTE) NTIA/FirstNet Policy Public Safety Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet State & Local Government View From The Top Commentary

Related Content

Commentary


How 5G is making cities safer, smarter, and more efficient

26th January 2023

3GPP moves Release 18 freeze date to March 2024

18th January 2023

Do smart cities make safer cities?

  • 1
6th January 2023
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

Public-safety coalition renews efforts to secure federal NG911 funding dlvr.it/ShwGfn

4th February 2023
UrgentComm

Newscan: Cyberattacks on DoE national labs draw lawmaker scrutiny dlvr.it/Shvpw3

3rd February 2023
UrgentComm

The shine begins to wear off 5G private wireless dlvr.it/Shth0P

3rd February 2023
UrgentComm

Phishers trick Microsoft into granting them ‘verified’ Cloud Partner status dlvr.it/Shqngn

2nd February 2023
UrgentComm

Shapeshifting robot can morph from a liquid to a solid dlvr.it/Shqk9K

2nd February 2023
UrgentComm

Automakers against stampede to BEV dominance dlvr.it/ShpX08

2nd February 2023
UrgentComm

FCC nominee Gigi Sohn headed for third Senate hearing dlvr.it/ShpDcZ

1st February 2023
UrgentComm

Sign up to learn how to successfully manage your Motorola ASTRO® 25 System: spr.ly/60143j8fp https://t.co/XcxiUwzN27

1st February 2023

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.