States still have FirstNet options
Connecting state and local government leaders
Even though all 50 states have opted in to FirstNet's plans for nationwide wireless first responders' network, Verizon reminds them that they're not obligated.
States that have opted into FirstNet's plans for a nationwide broadband wireless public-safety network can still use another network, according to a major provider of public safety communications.
In an interview with FCW, GCN's sibling site, Senior Vice President for Public Sector at Verizon Enterprise Solutions Michael Maiorana said that "no one is obligated to move to AT&T," FirstNet's commercial partner in the network.
All 50 states, two territories and the District of Columbia officially opted in to FirstNet . California and Massachusetts, Maiorana said, have indicated they're considering other options even though they both opted into FirstNet by the Dec. 28 deadline.
Maiorana said Verizon is working on an interconnection agreement with FirstNet and AT&T that would bring interoperability between the networks. The agreement, he said, would open up both networks' ecosystems to other users and foster more interoperability.
Verizon remains the largest provider of public safety communications in the country, Maiorana said. "We have two-thirds of the public safety market," he added. "Public safety users don't need to migrate to AT&T. They should use providers that best serve their market," he said.
Verizon had opted not to bid on the FirstNet contract because it didn't need the spectrum that came with the deal offered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and FirstNet. The government contract awarded to AT&T included 20MHz of band 14 government-owned spectrum. AT&T will spend billions over the next 25 years building out the spectrum for shared use between its commercial side and public safety.
Verizon said in August it is building a core network out of its 4G LTE network for dedicated service to first responders. Maiorana said work on the network continues. It will bring a number of capabilities beyond what the company already provides to first responders through its public sector network, including priority pre-emption capabilities that would give emergency responder traffic a faster ride on its network.
He declined to provide a specific completion date for the work, but said the company would be "rolling it out this year."
This article was first posted to FCW, a sibling site to GCN.