According to the FirstNet team, the request for proposals (RFP) award announcement could be made as early as the first week of November, though it may take some time after the announcement for all of the t’s to be crossed and i’s to be dotted in the formal contract.  In the meantime—during the month of October and the period after the announcement but before the contract award—states should be preparing to make the best decision possible when it comes to opting in or out of FirstNet. There are 47 states that have not yet gone public with any concept or RFP. However, these states can follow models from states that have publicly initiated steps toward the decision process. How should states prepare for FirstNet opt-out decision?