WESTMINSTER, Colo. — The FirstNet board met yesterday and approved an increased budget for 2013 to allow for hiring to shift ongoing management functions from board members and temporary consultants to employees of the board, and an organizational structure for the agency that is tasked with designing, building and maintaining a nationwide wireless data network for first responders.
Because FirstNet has had no staff except those borrowed from other agencies, board members has had to take an active role in most of FirstNet’s actions so far, which have primarily focused around research and outreach to the state, territories, tribes and local first responder jurisdictions. FirstNet recently hired a general manager, Bill D’Agostino, and has one other employee devoted to stakeholder outreach.
The board approved a budget increase of up to $20 million for the rest of the year, bringing FirstNet’s total approved funds and obligations thus far to about $50 million out of the $7 billion that Congress has approved. It also approved a motion to ensure its compliance with the National Environmental Protection Act.
D’Agostino told board members that FirstNet “has a long way to go” on researching and exploring network ideas before a final solution could be proposed and acted upon by the board, but he said he hopes to present a plan in August for fiscal year 2014 that could outline some of the network decisions that might be made. FirstNet plans to put out more than a dozen Requests for Information (RFIs) by August in order to gain more feedback and input from industry and other stakeholders, and have its management team in place by September, D’Agostino said.
During a presentation to the board, board member and retired fire chief Jeff Johnson said that nearly 300 participants from various states and local jurisdictions have participated in FirstNet regional outreach meetings so far. Individual meetings with states are to begin this month.
Johnson noted that no state or jurisdiction is required to buy wireless service from FirstNet once it has a network up and running, and its estimated 5.4 million potential users will need to see value in the organization’s offering if it is to be successful. Johnson added that having voice service — since FirstNet’s network is expected to be a data-only LTE network, this would presumably be VoLTE — from day one of the network, even if it were non-mission-critical voice service, it would allow users to switch from commercial carriers to FirstNet as a replacement cost, rather than adding the cost of FirstNet service to commercial service.
RCR spoke with Johnson after the meeting. See the video here:
