State Reviews of FirstNet Plans Whir Into Motion

Delivery of state plans seemed smooth, said NGA Center for Best Practices' Homeland Security and Public Safety Division Director Jeffrey McLeod in an interview Wednesday. Now, states will review plans with stakeholders within the state to make sure the plans meet coverage needs and provide sufficient detail for them to make a decision on opting in or out, he said. Most states likely have staff reviewing plans and asking questions before formally presenting them to governors, he said. Governors can opt in to this first version, but McLeod predicted most states would treat them as drafts and conduct an extended review process.

One state told McLeod it was “not surprised by what was in the plan, which isn’t to say that it was favorable or unfavorable,” said the NGA official. It’s unlikely any state significantly shifted course from its previous expected position, he said.

Reaction was generally positive from Idaho, Oregon and Washington delegations at a presentation in Portland, said FirstNet Senior Adviser Bill Schrier on the webinar. One of the states said it would “probably want to opt in early” and announce that decision “within a few weeks” so AT&T can get started deploying the network as soon as July, he said. Some other states have requests for information and requests for proposals, but “that’s OK,” said Schrier, saying he has confidence in the AT&T plans. The carrier heard praise from states about the plans' comprehensiveness, said AT&T National Director-Mobile Field Solutions Doug Clark. One state told Clark it wants to move forward as soon as July 1, he said. Some other states have a “very methodical process” and may take longer, he said.

McLeod believes most will opt in, and it's unlikely any other than one of the 11 states that already solicited alternative plans will opt out, the NGA official said. But states still have many questions, he said: “It’s a little bit like whack-a-mole. When they answer some questions, more questions pop up.” There’s insufficient guidance on the opt-out process, with FCC rules in draft form and NTIA not yet releasing guidelines, he said. NTIA posted a presentation on the opt-out process Tuesday.

“The review period is just getting underway and we already have 49 State Plan Review Consultation meetings scheduled with SPOCs [single points of contact],” a FirstNet spokeswoman said. “We look forward to continuing our consultation with states during this review period and beyond to ensure the network meets the needs of public safety.”

NGA plans conference calls over the next few months so states can share information about plans and engage FirstNet, McLeod said. Limits apply, but nonproprietary information should be OK to share, he said. Sharing will enable states to advocate together and “speak with a louder voice,” McLeod said.

State Reviews

More than 100 local, state and tribal stakeholders will participate in Colorado’s review of the FirstNet plan sent Monday, said Colorado Office of Information Technology Broadband Implementation Manager Kim Madsen. “We anticipate taking the full 45 days to assess and provide comment back to FirstNet and AT&T, with the hope that our comments will be incorporated into the final state plan,” she emailed. “Once the plan is delivered to the governor, Colorado anticipates using the full 90 days to allow stakeholders to assess and provide a recommendation to the governor, who will make the final decision.”

“We look forward to a robust conversation with both FirstNet and AT&T to ensure they provide the best possible network for Colorado's first responders and other public safety entities,” Madsen said. Colorado held an RFP for alternative RAN plans, with the state qualifying two bidders to provide a full response when requested, Coleman said.

California has a technical team scrutinizing the proposal “with an analysis of coverage, price, service levels, coastal and international border consideration [and] tribal nation service,” said a California Office of Emergency Services spokesman. “We will be conducting a number of outreach meetings throughout the state to solicit input from our public safety constituents.” California had an RFI for alternative plans.

New Hampshire is reviewing the plan, said Statewide Interoperability Coordinator John Stevens. “The individuals assigned to review the plan will meticulously go through each caveat in the next several weeks and offer questions and input pertaining to New Hampshire’s interest in coverage, cost, and ability to enhance and grow the network.” New Hampshire last year chose Rivada in an RFP to develop an alternative RAN plan to compare with the federal plan.

Rhode Island also is reviewing, said Armand Randolph, external affairs officer for the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, which recently launched an RFP for alternative plans. Massachusetts is reviewing the FirstNet state plan and the state’s RFP for alternative plans remains active, said SPOC Curt Wood.

Florida hadn’t received a draft plan as of Wednesday afternoon, a Department of Management Services spokeswoman said. The FirstNet spokeswoman said plans are available in the portal but Florida hasn’t accessed the portal because of questions on terms of use. FirstNet is working jointly with the state to resolve the questions, she said.