If FirstNet is not the answer, does someone have a better alternative?

It’s a rumor that started within a week of Congress passing the legislation that created FirstNet, and it’s one that just won’t die, particularly in the heated political environment that exists during the months leading up to a presidential election.

There are multiple versions with different wrinkles offered, but the basic premise is fairly straightforward: Republicans will want to kill FirstNet quickly, if the party gains control of the presidency and Congress in November.

It was an argument that made sense for quite some time, especially if you believe in partisan politics and the notion that this FirstNet is perceived as a Democratic initiative.

If you remember the political landscape of 2012, FirstNet was established under a Democratic president. Its enabling legislation was pushed primarily by Democratic senator (Jay Rockefeller) and a Democratic vice president (Joe Biden). The concept was opposed primarily by Republican members in the House of Representatives.

When Congress passed the legislation, Rockefeller immediately conducted a press conference and indicated that the $7 billion for FirstNet was just a start, and that additional federal funding would be needed. Republican critics pointed to the statement as another stereotypical tax-and-spend statement from a Democrat.

But the bigger issue soon became whether FirstNet would be able to get anything meaningful done, as the organization made no tangible progress during its first two years. Not only was the notion of giving FirstNet additional funds off the table, many critics cited FirstNet’s $7 billion as an example of wasteful government spending.

Today, the landscape is very different, although you might not realize it based on questions raised during the past few months in a congressional research paper, a House hearing and a Senate hearing. To a large extent, the same questions continue to be rehashed, with more attention being focused on FirstNet’s internal-control problems from two years ago than whether it can build a nationwide public-safety broadband network. In many cases, you have to wonder whether people bothered to read FirstNet’s request for proposal (RFP).

Long-term financial sustainability seemed to be the biggest issue for FirstNet for years. After all, FirstNet only had $7 billion in funding for a project that most estimated to cost at least $40 billion initially, even before maintenance and upgrades were factored into the equation. Personally, I questioned whether it could be done.