GAO report identifies several FirstNet challenges, ignores multiple key factors

FirstNet already has declared its plans to offer non-mission-critical voice with its first deployments, and it would be silly not to offer mission-critical-voice functionality when standardized equipment is available. That does not mean public safety will adopt the new LTE mission-critical voice option immediately; first responders rightfully will want to test the technology thoroughly before entrusting their lives with it. And FirstNet officials wisely have stated that they will let public safety decide when—or if—they want to use any kind of voice over LTE.

But the bottom line is that there are strong indications that a mission-critical LTE voice option will be available within the next five years, which is within the “foreseeable future,” in my opinion. Whether it will be an offering that public safety wants to adopt it is a different discussion, but the technical functionality should be in place—and that promises to make a big impact on FirstNet.

As a data-only system, FirstNet may always have a challenging time making an adoption case with public safety, particularly in its early days, when commercial networks likely will be able to offer greater coverage at a lower cost. Being on FirstNet’s dedicated public-safety spectrum will be an advantage during large emergencies, but that might not be enough to convince some agencies to switch to a more-expensive FirstNet option, especially if the commercial service has been reliable.

However, if FirstNet can offer public safety prioritized data service and mission-critical voice, the adoption dynamics would change dramatically. Instead of wondering whether to pay more for a FirstNet data offering, elected officials likely will want to jump at the opportunity to pay for a mission-critical voice and data service that gives them a migration path from the capital and operational costs associated with operating a private LMR network.