Public safety reconsiders who should use its broadband network

This article originally appeared in print with the headline, "Seeing the light."

"When the power goes out, people die"

Throughout the U.S., states and territories are preparing to begin a planning process with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) to determine what roles they will play in the much-anticipated nationwide broadband network for first responders that will feature LTE operations on 700 MHz public-safety spectrum.

Exactly what decisions will come from this planning process is anyone’s guess, but one theme that seems clear is that traditional public safety — police, fire and EMS personnel — will not be the only users on the network. In the law enacted last February that created FirstNet, language was included that allows a broader definition of the first responders — the one used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) — who will be allowed to access the network.

This broader definition includes critical infrastructure, and no group within it has expressed more interest than the utility sector — particularly electrical utilities. For years, the notion of sharing a nationwide broadband network was met with resistance by many public-safety representatives, who expressed concern that additional traffic on the network could impede the transmission of public-safety signals, which in turn could result in the loss of lives and property.

However, during the past year, this stance has changed considerably, as officials in traditional public-safety agencies have learned more about the economic challenges facing the FirstNet board that is trying to deploy a nationwide broadband network, as well as the potential operational benefits that could come from having utilities access the system.

The possibility of traditional public-safety entities partnering with utilities on the FirstNet broadband network is being considered, based on recent comments from several members of the FirstNet board.

"The law actually says 'public-safety network,'" said FirstNet board member Jeff Johnson, who is CEO of the Western Fire Chiefs Association. "But this board is choosing to interpret that pretty broadly. When I respond to a hazardous-materials call on the freeway, that involves the highway department, and there's lots of interaction. Getting those traffic-camera feeds directly to our apparatus helps us make all sorts of decisions. That's just a single example.

"Whether [the network] is broad enough to include utilities, transportation and public works, I think this board is seeing it as the broader public-safety community, and not just the people who spray and shoot and get shot at."