LAS VEGAS — The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) is “making a lot of progress” on developing an interoperable broadband public safety network, FirstNet acting Executive Director TJ Kennedy said today. The 122 responses to FirstNet’s comprehensive network solution request for information (RFI) have provided FirstNet with “a good feel for what the community thinks needs to be done” with affordability of network services for public safety users and accelerating the speed to market among the issues raised, Mr. Kennedy said at the Wireless Symposium organized by NTCA and the Rural Wireless Association.

Public safety entities want to make sure that excess capacity is leveraged as a revenue stream so that public safety user fees don’t have to be too large.

Mr. Kennedy said that FirstNet is about to begin a series of “regular industry days” to discuss issues with industry players leading up to a draft request for proposals (RFP) expected in the first quarter of this year and a final RFP anticipated later this year.  He said the organization has been having environmental impact meetings and that “every single month we have consultations with every state.”

Mr. Kennedy also emphasized for the audience of smaller service providers that FirstNet is still considering in a public notice and comment proceeding how to define “rural” for the purposes of the FirstNet network.  “We need to build this network in rural areas.  We need to build this network in suburban areas.  We need to build this network in metropolitan areas.  And we need to get it built as cost efficiently as possible,” he added.

“It’s a shame that the average 17-year-old in this country has more computing power in their pockets than the average police officer,” said Mr. Kennedy, a former law enforcement official himself.  He said that the only special interests he wants FirstNet to serve are police, fire, and EMS entities.

During a separate session at today’s event, Gram Meadors of AT&T, Inc., emphasized to officials from small, rural carriers in the audience that “AT&T fully welcomes domestic roaming deals” and offered to speak to them on an individual basis about such arrangements. —Lynn Stanton, lynn.stanton@wolterskluwer.com

Courtesy TRDailty