The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) would like input from the vendor community as it considers how to deploy and operate a statewide broadband public safety radio network.
At a high level, the feedback could help California decide whether it will opt in or out of FirstNet, the national network for first responders that's under development.
Although states are mandated to participate in the network that will be proposed by the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), there is an opt-out option that would allow states to construct the network themselves, rather than leave the task to the federal government.
As part of the planning process, for the past few years FirstNet has engaged California and all other states in a consultation effort. Each state must deliver a "state plan" that whether to opt-in to a FirstNet-deployed Radio Access Network (RAN), or to opt-out and build and operate its own RAN.
“The consultation and outreach this year has been really intense," said former California state CIO Teri Takai, a member of the FirstNet Board of Directors and senior adviser at the Center for Digital Government (a division of Techwire's parent company, e.Republic). "Initially it was very much focused on state and tribal agencies, but this year there has also been more activity to involve local first responders."
In the past, FirstNet has visited Sacramento to convene disussions about rural broadband coverage, tribal connectivity and other issues. The state has its own California First Responder Network Board of Directors (CalFRN) that's working on the issue of a nationwide public safety broadband network.
CalOES released an RFI this month seeking feedback on possible approaches. Responses are due Jan. 2, 2017. (See the state's procurement website for more information.)
"The primary objective of this RFI is to solicit creative and collaborative business model recommendations for a potential public-private partnership(s) to build a California-deployed RAN. In the event California determines that an “opt-out” solution is in its best interest, the state deployed RAN will be required to interoperate with FirstNet," the RFI says.
Reporting from Emergency Management contributed to this story.
