Gov. Jerry Brown must decide this month whether California will join a national public safety network or build its own high-speed wireless network dedicated to first responders.
That decision is certain to be informed by proposals the state received from any vendors hoping to build an alternative California-only network.
The state issued a request for proposals for such a plan last month, with a Dec. 6 deadline for bids and a Wednesday deadline for the state to review those plans.
Under review is whether California can find a vendor to design, build, deploy, finance, operate and maintain a statewide wireless broadband system at no cost to the state. Or, should the state join the national FirstNet network, developed by federal contractor AT&T.
AT&T released state plans this summer for how it would build the FirstNet network across all 50 states and U.S. territories. So far, 36 states have endorsed those plans and chosen FirstNet for their public safety network. But concerns remain in California and other states about AT&T’s coverage and the cost of lease agreements.
The independent First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) was created by Congress in 2012 under the U.S. Department of Commerce as part of a broader tax-cut bill. Envisioned is a new, nationwide, interoperable broadband network intended to transform the way fire, police, EMS, emergency management and other public safety personnel communicate and share information — a long-held goal of first responders since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The authority this spring selected AT&T to deploy that nationwide network.
AT&T describes a California network as a “considerable undertaking” but one that it is ready and well-positioned to accomplish.
“We are confident that our California statewide network, crisis-response, and in-state resources make AT&T the superior choice to deliver a wireless broadband network to the state’s public safety community,” an AT&T spokesman said in a statement.
California has until Dec. 28 to decide whether to join AT&T’s national FirstNet network, or it can opt out and go its own way. It’s unclear how California will proceed.
"This RFP is not a decision to OPT OUT, rather an effort to ensure due diligence and obtain the best solution for California," said Pat Mallon, assistant director of public safety communications for the California Office of Emergency Services. "Simply put, we are committed to providing all relevant information to the governor for his decision.”
FirstNet is touting its capabilities and widespread acceptance through its website and through social media channels, as well as on Facebook and as @FirstNetGov on Twitter.
Analysts have also speculated about the financial ramifications of the deal for AT&T.
When the state announced its search for a possible vendor to provide an alternative network, the RFP stated that it “should not be interpreted that California has made the decision to Opt-Out of the state plan developed by AT&T and FirstNet.” A spokesman for the California Office of Emergency Services, which released the RFP, did not respond to inquiries this week seeking comment.
If the state does opt out of the national network, it could name a vendor as early as Dec. 29 to build the California-only network — one that must be interoperable with the national network, according to the RFP.
At least one large telecommunications company has taken itself out of the running to build a California network. In a statement, a Verizon spokesman said a careful and extensive review of the state’s proposal requirements led them not to submit a bid, in large part because of “technical and financial requirements” dictated by FirstNet that “saddled the state of California — through no fault of its own with onerous and vaguely defined mandates.”
If California builds its own network, the state must submit an alternative state plan to the Federal Communications Commission. In its RFP, the state said any contractor must provide secure coverage to all organizations and agencies that perform a public safety role in the state, including the state’s 109 federally recognized tribes. And it emphasized the need for broad geographic coverage deemed essential by first responders, as well as coverage for critical infrastructure.
