SACRAMENTO — The California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and the federal First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) are anticipating heavy use of a nationwide broadband network for first responders, from a source some may find surprising — commercial operations.
Although the primary goal of the FirstNet network is to create an interoperable system for public safety agencies across the U.S., state and federal officials say there’s a fiscal benefit to opening up excess capacity to be used by entities outside the public sector.
During a meeting of the California Broadband Council at the State Capitol on Thursday, representatives from the California First Responder Network (CalFRN) and FirstNet presented details about the initiative’s overall progress, state agencies’ involvement and how government intends to cover the costs associated with building a nationwide broadband network.
Following the project’s inception in 2012, the federal government allocated $7 billion to construct the network, a cost that would be partially covered by fees from participating agencies. In addition to these payments from the public sector, the authority will permit commercial use of the FirstNet spectrum, a move California expects will help pay for the system.
“Excess capacity has the availability to monetize use of the system and will support the system,” said Pat Mallon, program manager at CalOES and CalFRN board member, during the meeting. “We can imagine in the state of California, because of the density of our population, that in some areas there will be an abundance of revenue generated from use of that spectrum, as well as revenue that will be generated from the system’s [public safety users].”
Mallon noted that although California’s potentially very large user base could produce extra revenue, it has yet to be determined how that would work on the national level to help deploy network access in rural states.
FirstNet CEO Mike Poth, also in attendance at the meeting, recognized that while there will be huge commercial benefits to the initiative, it's first and foremost a public safety network.
California is still gathering information to help determine whether the state should opt in or opt out of FirstNet. Although all states are mandated to participate in FirstNet, states have been given the option to opt out and construct the network themselves, under the condition that it complies and is compatible with the federal network. Looking to receive vendor input on the matter, CalOES issued an RFI last month. Responses are due Jan. 2, 2017.
As for the federal authority, Poth said they hope to have a vendor selected to build the network in the next two to three months.
