Five years later, public safety can see a light at the end of FirstNet tunnel
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Five years later, public safety can see a light at the end of FirstNet tunnel
Many public-safety representatives feared these limitations would mean that: (1) FirstNet would be deployed only in populous areas (despite a legal mandate that calls for rural coverage), where secondary usage of the spectrum could offset the public-safety costs, and (2) FirstNet likely would not have the money to pay for technological upgrades and faced an uncertain financial future beyond the initial buildout.
Even in areas where the network was deployed, could public-safety entities count on the financial health of FirstNet enough to make long-term investments in new communications devices and subscriber fees? Would FirstNet repeatedly have to beg Congress for money to keep its doors open?
These were fair questions—and ones that FirstNet answered unequivocally with its request for proposals (RFP), which took a unique approach to addressing the difficult issues. By having the nationwide contractor make fixed payments to FirstNet for 25 years, the organization’s long-term economic viability effectively is ensured, without an additional dime from Congress.
FirstNet’s RFP clearly outlines the initial deployment timetable, in terms of coverage and features that must be included at each stage of completion. It also dictates rural buildout at each deployment stage, so FirstNet broadband services are not just limited to the most populous areas of the country. And the RFP did all of this in a manner that caused at least three bidding teams to vie for the right to build the project, when some skeptics feared that there would be no bidders.
Of course, there are still some lingering questions about FirstNet long-term prospects. Some industry observers have expressed concern that opt-out decisions (and potential litigation) could undermine the economic viability of the project for the nationwide contractor. Without knowledge of the winning bid, it is impossible to determine whether this could be an issue, but the RFP certainly tries to address this issue by having bidders assign monetary values to each state and territory.
Another concern being raised by some is the notion that the new presidential administration and/or Congress might want to change FirstNet.
While that is a possibility, Wilbur Ross—the commerce secretary nominee, who is expected to be confirmed next week—has expressed support for the “concept” of FirstNet. The fact that FirstNet is designed to benefit public safety and is a public-private partnership that requires no additional federal funding also should be attractive to the White House and Congress. In other words, unless the administration or Congress believes it could drive an even better deal, it’s hard to imagine there would be much desire to undo FirstNet at this point.
Given all of these factors, FirstNet appears positioned to provide a long-term option for public-safety communications, after the legal and procurement processes are completed. Count me among those who are anxious to see the resulting network in action. Hopefully, it will be worth the wait.