California Moves Forward on FirstNet

The FirstNet effort in California is underway. Over the next few months Gov. Jerry Brown will decide whether the state will opt in to the plan presented by AT&T at the federal level of FirstNet or offer up a different plan.

As with all the other states, if California doesn't opt in to the federal plan, it will be responsible for handling its own infrastructure around the bandwidth granted by the federal government for first responders.

"Today, the networks that first responders use are the same that everyday consumers and businesses do," AT&T spokesman Steven Maviglio wrote to Techwire in an email. "During emergencies, networks can become congested and disrupt public safety communications. FirstNet addresses this problem, for the first time, by giving first responders priority and preemption access on the AT&T network.” 

Any plan used for FirstNet needs to be able to:

• Allow first responders access to the dedicated bandwidth for communication
• Allow that bandwidth to cut ahead of all other communications
• Allow the addition of personal devices by temporary first responders
• Assist with evacuation planning

So far, draft plans have been presented to each state, allowing time for residents to provide comments and concerns. A finalized plan, which includes responses to or adjustments because of public comment, will be provided around Sept. 19.

Nearly 800 Californians attended public meetings about the plan. In all, 687 comments were submitted to FirstNet on Aug. 4.

They addressed these topics:

• 53 percent of commenters were concerned about coverage
• Cost of devices
• Integration and security of the system
• Quality of anchor antenna sites, including generators

“The main concern we heard in all those meetings was, 'I don’t have coverage in my area,'” Patrick Mallon, assistant director of public safety communications in the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said of the comments at the Aug. 23 California Broadband Council meeting.

If California does opt out after the December estimated response deadline, California must build a network within another 90 days, putting the next deadline in March.