https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Events
    • 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
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • Microwave/RF
    • T&D World
    • 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
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Events
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • Microwave/RF
    • T&D World
    • 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

Funding


FirstNet’s Swenson to Congress: Final RFP due this year, ‘we should be shot’ if 2022 goal not met

  • Written by Donny Jackson
  • 11th March 2015
FirstNet Chairwoman Sue Swenson testifies before the Senate Commerce Committee that FirstNet plans to issue its final request for proposal (RFP) by the end of this year and that “we should be shot” if the much-anticipated nationwide broadband network for first responders is not operational by 2022.

What is in this article?

  • FirstNet’s Swenson to Congress: Final RFP due this year, ‘we should be shot’ if 2022 goal not met
  • FirstNet’s Swenson to Congress: Final RFP due this year, ‘we should be shot’ if 2022 goal not met

FirstNet’s Swenson to Congress: Final RFP due this year, ‘we should be shot’ if 2022 goal not met

FirstNet plans to issue its final request for proposal (RFP) by the end of this year, and “we should be shot” if the much-anticipated nationwide broadband network for first responders is not operational by 2022, FirstNet Chairwoman Sue Swenson testified today during a hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee.

FirstNet officials have said for months that they plan to issue a draft RFP by the end of March. Although plans to have the final RFP released by the end of 2015 have been mentioned, FirstNet Acting Executive Director TJ Kennedy on Monday declined to comment when asked about that timeline. But Swenson answered a question from Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) by stating that the final RFP would be issued “toward the latter part of the calendar year.”

“We are on track to issue that [final RFP], and we are on track with all of the milestones we communicated over a year ago,” Swenson said during the oversight hearing, which was webcast.

After the statement, Thune asked if any factors could delay the release of the final RFP, but Swenson did not identify any.

“I’m not aware of any that could delay that,” Swenson said. “Internally, we believe that’s the case. Depending on the comments we get back from the vendor community and others about that draft RFP, it may extend it a little bit. But I think [any delay] will be well worth the time, so—when we actually issue the RFP—it will be done right, and it’s done effectively.

When Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) sought more information about FirstNet’s operational timeline, Swenson described the process that FirstNet is pursuing but did not mention any dates, noting the possibility that FirstNet could experience some “bumps along the way” to deploying the network.

“The goal is to get that RFP out, get the responses in, put that information together and deliver plans to the governors of every state,” Swenson said. “What happens during that timeframe, we’re hoping, is smooth. I hope you get a sense of the sense of urgency that we feel about this and how hard we’re working to get that done as quickly as possible.”

Fischer asked, “Do you think you’ll reach that 2022 goal that’s out there?”

“Oh, yeah,” Swenson said. “If we don’t, we should be shot.”

After listening to laughter in the room, Fischer said, “Mr. Chairman, I don’t even know how to respond … I appreciate your honesty on that.”

During the hearing, Bruce Andrews—deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Commerce—said he expects the second round of State and Local Implementation Grant Program (SLIGP) funding to be released “in the next couple of months.”

Congress allocated $7 billion to FirstNet, but published estimates regarding the potential cost of a nationwide broadband network have ranged from $12 billion to $47 billion. FirstNet officials are comfortable with internal cost estimates to deploy the network, but there is some uncertainty about how much revenue FirstNet can generate from the leasing of excess spectrum capacity, Swenson said. FirstNet hopes to have those questions answered through its RFP process.

But Swenson said FirstNet is “not looking for money” and believes the public-safety broadband system can be built with existing resources.

“Yes, we can [build the network], assuming that the assumptions we have in our plan are realized, which is why the RFP process is so important,” Swenson said. “We believe it can happen, but it will only be validated through the RFP process.”

“If we don’t realize what we believe the value of the spectrum is, we literally could fold up our tents and go home, which is not a good outcome … If we don’t realize the value of that spectrum, it’s going to be very challenging to be self-sustaining.”

Swenson acknowledged that working within federal-government rules has been a challenging at times, particularly the hiring process. After three years, FirstNet has 110 full-time staffers, largely because the hiring process takes “nine to 10 months” to complete all levels of approvals, she said.

1 | 2 |
FirstNet’s Swenson to Congress: Final RFP due this year, ‘we should be shot’ if 2022 goal not met
Tags: Legislation Public Safety Funding Long Term Evolution (LTE) News NTIA/FirstNet Policy Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet Regional Coordination State & Local Government News

2 comments

  1. Avatar Gary Peters 11th March 2015 @ 11:16 pm
    Reply

    Oh so that’s why the Feds are
    Oh so that’s why the Feds are trying to ban M855 ammo?!

  2. Avatar Joe Stacy 13th March 2015 @ 8:51 pm
    Reply

    If you can’t figure out how
    If you can’t figure out how to work effectively within the Federal hiring and acquisition rules, should you really be in charge of leading a major hiring and acquisition initiative using Federal funding? Why should FirstNet be excused from all the rules that other Federal agencies routinely follow in implementing complex technology programs that are also “very, very important”?

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Public safety needs a better way to triage emergency calls
  • Newscan: FBI received over 100,000 pieces of digital evidence after Capitol attack
  • Intelsat to test 4G connections to iPhones from stratosphere

Commentary


Public safety needs a better way to triage emergency calls

13th January 2021

In challenging year, working with public safety to move FirstNet forward

30th December 2020

Communications solutions must evolve quickly to meet needs of a changing world

31st October 2020
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

RT @IWCEexpo: 📆 Mark Your Calendars: IWCE will be returning to Las Vegas this September and registration is slated to open in April 📆 Wa…

15th January 2021
UrgentComm

RT @IWCEexpo: ⚡FLASH SALE: Don't miss this exclusive offer! Passes to #IBFVirtual are now 50% off with code TWITTER50. Take advantage of th…

6th November 2020
UrgentComm

Get ready for part 2 of "Ensuring Public Safety Emergency Communications" next week! @PCTEL_inc will explore… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

3rd November 2020
UrgentComm

Over the past few months, we’ve seen the world transform, and it's clear that cities will be affected in the long-t… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

27th October 2020
UrgentComm

Florida state & local agencies subscribing to the Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System (SLERS) will be able to co… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

26th October 2020
UrgentComm

Tune in to @slacorp CEO Josh Lober as he explains how the company has fully integrated its #PTT application to work… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

26th October 2020
UrgentComm

.@SierraWireless announced the commercial availability of the AirLink MG90 platform, which they tout as the first m… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

26th October 2020
UrgentComm

Attorneys for #Hytera and #MotorolaSolutions this week submitted final written arguments, apparently clearing a pat… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

22nd October 2020

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
  • Microwave/RF
  • T&D World
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 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.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X