We now know who at least two of the FirstNet bidders are. In addition to the announcement by Rivada and its partners, Pacific Data Vision (PDV), now pdvWireless, which is already in the process of building out a nationwide near-mission-critical PTT network on spectrum in the 900-MHz band acquired from Sprint, has issued a public statement that it, too, has responded to the FirstNet RFP. PdvWireless did not announce any partners but it does not take much to piece together at least some of them. Morgan O’Brien and his friends from the Nextel network days are behind pdvWireless and where Morgan goes, Motorola and Sprint are usually right next to him.

Just for fun I went back to my weekly Public Safety Advocate blog dated September 25, 2014, and here is what I wrote about pdvWireless and Mr. O’Brien: “Dusting Off My Crystal Ball Just for Fun! By now most of you know that Morgan O’Brien, best known as a co-founder of Nextel and more, most recently involved with the Public Safety Spectrum Trust with his company Cyren Call, is back in the wireless arena once again. This time his company Pacific Data Vision (PDV) purchased 6 MHz of 900-MHz spectrum from Sprint. PDV intends to turn this spectrum into a nationwide, not quite mission-critical push-to-talk network for customers who truly value the push-to-talk services they enjoy using LMR, had when using Nextel, or are using Sprint, AT&T, or Verizon’s PTT service as well as any number of other PTT applications available today.

Morgan and his company are being pretty realistic when it comes to the number of potential customers and has plans to petition the FCC to permit LTE in what is really a 3X3 MHz spectrum holding, not a lot of spectrum for an LTE system. However, according to my crystal ball there is another shoe or even two or three that could be dropped. So let’s say PDV can quickly build out a nationwide PTT voice system in this spectrum while petitioning the FCC for LTE use. Now let’s suppose that over that same two years FirstNet makes some but not a lot of progress in its network deployment. By this time the presidential election is drawing near, everyone in Congress is looking for something to grab onto to show their success, and FirstNet is not a shining example of how things get done. So Morgan and his group, now with a quick and successful nationwide build under their belt, turn to the Public Safety community, and to Congress (he has been there before), and pitches taking over FirstNet. PDV will build, manage, and run the network, providing nationwide data services for Public Safety. PDV’s now nationwide PTT voice network can be the platform for mission-critical PTT over LTE and the 700-MHz band can remain reserved for data only.

Now we have a combination that is hard to beat: a proven track record, both data and mission-critical voice, and a company that can do everything that needs to be done quickly, including finding partners to strengthen its position with both secondary users and perhaps financial partnerships. Could it happen? Maybe, and from my vantage point the only group that could make it happen is one in which Morgan plays a role and, I am sure, involves others who want to see the network built and operational.”

So I got most of it wrong! First, pdvWireless has only a few cities up and running: Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Chicago, Dallas/Houston, New York/New Jersey, and Philadelphia. However, according to the news releases, it is about to launch thirteen more metro areas. Next, Congress appears to be satisfied with the progress FirstNet is making. The last thing I was wrong about, and I am frankly glad I was wrong, is that during this past two years FirstNet has made a huge amount of progress, the RFP was issued, and responses received at the end of May. Further, FirstNet is really trying to keep on track to make an award by the end of November of this year.

What I was right about was that Morgan O’Brien and his team are still very much interested in FirstNet and building out and managing the network. Those involved at the highest levels of pdvWireless have had a lot of experience with building out large-scale systems and making money for themselves and others while doing so. It will be interesting to see if the other bidders come forward and announce themselves or if they will remain incognito until the award is made. The consensus seems to be that there were at least three if not more bidders. Even with only three bidders the first two we know about are both capable of building the network, each has a different rationale for bidding, and hopefully the other bidder(s) will be equally as strong if not stronger. That will certainly enable FirstNet to choose the best possible partner team. Whichever company becomes the FirstNet/Public Safety partner will be stepping up to spending somewhere northward of $30 billion over the next ten years in hopes of having an opportunity to earn a nice return on that investment. From my vantage point, I hope things go smoothly and that the contract is awarded, the network is built, and first responders flock to it in large numbers. If not, all of the great work that has been done by so many dedicated people will be for naught. We cannot afford to let that happen. There is a weather forecaster here who ends each of his TV forecasts by saying, “watch your kids around water.” I guess my signoff would be, “Support FirstNet but continue to support your LMR systems, too! Andrew Seybold

pdvWireless Announces Submission of FirstNet Bid – National Public Safety Telecommunications Council – npstc via Google Alerts Jun 14 19:47 Mr. O’Brien’s first attempt to deploy a nationwide public safety broadband network failed with Cyren Call Communications Corp. During a conference …

Commissioners discuss potential 9-1-1 needs in the future – Petoskey News-Review via Google Alerts Jun 17 09:45 While it’s not sure when, Wonnacott added that a second round of narrow-banding is expected from the FCC. “We’re not how long our equipment will …

FirstNet Oversight: An Update on the Status of the Public Safety Broadband Network – Make Me Feed via Google Alerts Jun 16 20:30 U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet, will convene the panel …

FirstNet Weekly Update to the Public Safety Advisory Committee – National Public Safety Telecommunications Council – npstc via Google Alerts Jun 15 02:40 The afternoon’s closed sessions featured updates from the FirstNet Office of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Public Safety Communications …

South Korea, UK aim for completion of public-safety LTE deployments next year – Urgent Communications via Google Alerts Jun 14 16:11 As FirstNet evaluates bids to build a nationwide public-safety broadband network in the United States, public-safety LTE deployments in South Korea …

What Counties Need to Know about FirstNet: A Communications Network for First Responders – National Association of Counties via Google Alerts Jun 14 12:41 What Counties Need to Know about FirstNet: A Communications Network for First Responders …

High-power tests prepare LTE for critical-communications applications – EDN Europe via Google Alerts Jun 14 06:10 … band 14 public safety networks. At the recent PVG #73 meeting in Munich, the R&S TS8980 test system validated six RF conformance test cases for …

NIST and NTIA Seek Industry Partners for Public Safety Communications Test Bed – Make Me Feed via Google Alerts Jun 14 04:00 The Commerce Departments Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) program is signing up a new round of industry collaborators for the test …

Telia, Ericsson, Nokia, Intel invest in NB-IoT for 2017 commercial launch – 4 Traders via Google Alerts Jun 17 09:50 Swedish telco Telia has partnered Ericsson , Nokia and Intel to invest in joint development of the standard for Narrow Band-Internet of Things (NB-IoT), …

FCC, opponents prep for next round in Net Neutrality Open Internet rule fight – Lightwave Jun 17 06:31 The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Tuesday may have won the first round in court Tuesday when a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld its Open Internet rules and the reclassification of broadband services under Title II by a 2-1 margin. But that victory merely cleared the way for the next battle of the lawyers, potentially in the Supreme Court.

NTIA Seeks Streamlining of Team Telecom Process; FCC to Propose Rules – Lexology via Google Alerts Jun 16 18:50 … the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), …

Meet Your AFC Advisors: Stuart Snow (Arizona) (APCO – Association of Public-Safety … – Newsoneplace.com via Google Alerts Jun 16 18:25 Source: APCO – Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International Inc) AFC, APCO’s frequency coordination department, is pleased …

A Primer on 3GPP Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) – Google Alerts Jun 16 16:35 AbstractNarrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) is a new cellular technology introduced in 3GPP Release 13 for providing wide-area coverage for …

Google accused of stealing Project Loon technology – ZDNet via Google Alerts Jun 16 15:50 … by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide narrowband …

Will the Supreme Court Really Take on Net Neutrality? – Slate Magazine via Google Alerts Jun 16 15:10 The panel also found that the FCC acted properly when it applied its regulatory framework to mobile broadband. Equal rules for both mobile and fixed …

pdvWireless announces bid for FirstNet, belief that FCC will release NOI on 900 MHz broadband … – Urgent Communications via Google Alerts Jun 16 14:25 … to build a nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN) for FirstNet and …

Florida Public Safety Telecommunicators Study Guide – Mind Body Spirit Centre via Google Alerts Jun 16 14:01 public safety telecommunicators. D Block EMD FCC FirstNet Florida Funding Illinois criticall 911 public safety dispatcher pre-employment testing …

Huawei and Vodafone announce opening of world’s first narrowband IoT open lab – Display Plus via Google Alerts Jun 16 10:45 UK – Huawei (www.huawei.com) and Vodafone announce the opening of an Open IoT Lab to work on the development of products and applications …

The Public Safety LTE & Mobile Broadband Market 2030: Size, Analysis, Share, Competitive … – FohBoh via Google Alerts Jun 16 09:55 Due to the bandwidth limitations of their traditional voice-centric LMR (Land Mobile Radio) networks, public safety agencies are keen to leverage …

JPS Interoperability Solutions Rebrands, Reaffirms Commitment to Customers and Partners – Newsoneplace.com via Google Alerts Jun 16 02:25 Source: APCO – Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International Inc) JPS Interoperability Solutions, Inc. recently rebranded and.

public safety – Institute for Local Self-Reliance via Google Alerts Jun 16 00:00 This short 20 minute video highlights how the network is saving money, creating competition for broadband services, and creating powerful new public …

What Counties Need to Know About FirstNet – Conduit Street – Maryland Association of Counties via Google Alerts Jun 15 20:30 The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) aims to create a …

Telekom Austria, Nokia demo narrow-band IoT – Telecompaper via Google Alerts Jun 15 12:35 Telekom Austria’s Group M2M division, in partnership with Nokia, has presented a showcase for NB-IoT for the first time in Austria. Presented during …

Internet Investment and Innovation Threatened By Appellate Courts’ Net Neutrality Ruling – PR Newswire Jun 15 11:10 WASHINGTON, June 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — “Allowing the FCC to rule the Internet like a public utility under Title II of the 1934 Communications Act will do nothing but produce a broadband shortage,” said George Gilder,  bestselling technology author and Discovery…

FCC Wins Huge Net Neutrality Victory Over Big Telecom – E-Commerce Times Jun 15 07:00 An appellate court on Tuesday handed a major victory to the FCC by upholding the Open Internet Order, which ensures equal access to the Internet. By a 2-1 vote, the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the FCC’s right to impose Net neutrality rules that essentially prevent big telecom and broadband companies from slowing down, speeding up, or blocking service.

Verizon’s Silliman talks net neutrality and much more – Tech Investor News via Google Alerts Jun 14 22:15 It’s no surprise that Verizon has pushed back against the FCC’s proposed new privacy rules for broadband providers considering carriers are …

AT&T Remains Defiant, Insists FCC Hasn’t Won Final Battle Over ‘Net Neutrality’ – TheStreet.com via Google Alerts Jun 14 16:16 AT&T (T) , the Dallas-based broadband company with a $248 billion market cap, was quick to dismiss the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’s decision on …

Department of Commerce Approves ICANN’s Independence PlanNow What? – Lexology via Google Alerts Jun 14 09:15 Last week, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a division of the Department of Commerce, approved the …

Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee, 38689 – Justia Regulation Tracker via Google Alerts Jun 14 08:20 Agencies. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE · National Telecommunications and Information Administration. [Federal Register Volume 81, Number 114 …

AT&T Anticipating Low-Power 4G Spec for IoT – IPv6.net via Google Alerts Jun 13 16:50 By Dan Jones Commercial narrow band LTE for IoT networking could arrive by …

GSA Says 20 Narrowband NB-IoT Nets in Commercial Operation by Year End 2017 – Telecom Signaling via Google Alerts Jun 10 09:20 The list is in fact getting quite long and includes: 3GPP technologies such as enhancements for Machine Type Communications (eMTC), Narrowband …