October 14, 2016–The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) today extended again the deadline for bids on its request for proposals (RFPs) for an alternative plan for deploying a public safety broadband radio access network (RAN) in the state. Proposals had been due Oct. 14 before being extended to Oct. 24 (TRDaily, Sept. 29).

“Earlier this week, several major vendors known to have the experience and capability to perform the services required within the state’s RFP indicated they would be unable to submit a proposal for the AL PSB-RAN until the FirstNet partner is announced,” ALEA said in a news release. “Multiple vendors requested an extension to the closing date of the AL PSB-RAN that would coincide with FirstNet’s announcement of its nationwide partner. In all, the State has received six (6) requests for an extension to the response deadline and 12 requests for the state to entertain questions related to the AL PSB-RAN RFP. Therefore, ALEA has taken the following action:

“The closing date for the RFP regarding the AL PSB-RAN will be extended to the fifteenth (15th) business day immediately following the public announcement of the FirstNet nationwide contractor/bid award winner for the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN),” the news release added. “The closing time will be 4:00 PM Central Standard Time (CST) on the day previously stated.”

FirstNet plans to announce its nationwide partner by Nov. 1.

While it waits for an announcement from FirstNet on a contract award, Rivada Networks LLC said this week that it doesn’t plan to submit bids in response to RFPs released by states seeking alternatives to having FirstNet’s partner build their RANs (TRDaily, Oct. 12). The state of Arizona has also issued an RFP (TRDaily, Sept. 29). Those bids are due Oct. 31. Rivada has been awarded a contract from New Hampshire to prepare an alternative state plan (TRDaily, Sept. 7). – Paul Kirby, paul.kirby@wolterskluwer.com

Courtesy TRDaily