California opted in to FirstNet in December, but noted that flexibility would be required during its rollout. AT&T California's president told lawmakers that subcontractors and interoperability would be important in covering California's first responder communication needs.
“Brown, who waited until the Dec. 28 deadline, said California chose to participate in the national network even though the plan developed by the independent First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) and AT&T 'does not address all our state’s needs,'” Techwire reported of Gov. Jerry Brown in December.
“California is opting into the plan with the expectation that our concerns will be addressed throughout our partnership,” Brown wrote in a letter to Mike Poth, then the chief executive officer of FirstNet.
The contract offers a way for local public safety jurisdictions to access FirstNet services.
The contract, which began on Oct. 22, will ease purchasing for all mandated safety agencies and for other public safety departments that choose to use FirstNet.
If a private entity wishes to use the contract, it needs to be verified by the California Office of Emergency Services.
Service offerings can be found here.
"In addition to the priority and pre-emption that FirstNet subscribers receive, they are not throttled,” Ken McNeely, president, AT&T Pacific Region, wrote in a press release. "This contract is an important step in providing California's first responders with the ability to choose and purchase FirstNet services to get access to the technology, features and functionality that are designed to properly handle their rigorous, specific and niche demands."
