Evaluators of three alternative FirstNet plan proposals submitted in response to a request for proposals (RFP) released by the state of Michigan have recommended that the state consider the submission by Rivada Michigan LLC along with the state plan submitted by the First Responder Network Authority and its network partner, AT&T, Inc. The evaluators said that two of the bidders, Crown Castle and Macquarie Infrastructure Development LLC, did “not meet the requirements for being responsive and responsible” while Rivada did in garnering the required minimum score of 80 out of 100.
“We are honored that our alternative plan for public safety broadband in Michigan will have the chance to be placed side-by-side with the federal government’s offering,” said Declan Ganley, executive chairman and co-chief executive officer of Rivada Networks LLC, which is the managing member of Rivada Michigan. “By putting out this RFP, Michigan has given its Governor a real choice, as envisioned in the legislation that created FirstNet.”
Rivada also was selected by the state of New Hampshire to present an alternative state plan, and several other states have also issued RFPs or are considering them (TR Daily, Sept. 7, 2016). The company-led Rivada Mercury LLC consortium lost out to AT&T for the FirstNet contract.
“With FirstNet’s draft state plans now in the Governor’s hands, we expect more states to follow Michigan’s and New Hampshire’s leads,” Mr. Ganley said. “This is the only way to ensure that the governor is getting the best possible network for his or her state’s first responders. We look forward to the opportunity to have our plan compared directly with FirstNet’s.”
Mr. Ganley added that it “has already made state-specific ‘white papers’ available to any state that has not already started a procurement for alternative plans. These white papers lay out the Rivada approach to public safety broadband to help governors make an informed choice under the Public Safety Spectrum act.” —Paul Kirby, paul.kirby@wolterskluwer.com
Courtesy TRDaily