The state of New York may have struck out for the time being in building a statewide public-safety communications network, but New York City continues to make progress on a network of its own.
State officials have cancelled a $2 billion contract with M/A-COM, claiming the company has failed to deliver an acceptable statewide public-safety communications network. The state is seeking M/A-COM to return $50 million immediately. M/A-COM has responded that the company may take legal action against the state for canceling the 20-year contract, which was signed in 2005.
NYC public-safety contract rolls on
As the state grapples to move forward with contingency plans, New York City continues to add applications to its network, which was built through a partnership between Northrop Grumman Corp. and IPWireless.
In 2006, New York City signed a five-year $500 million contract with Northrop to enhance the city’s existing wireless communications network with high-speed data and video capabilities and deploy advanced wireless applications to support first responders and transportation personnel.
Jon Hambidge, IPWireless EVP of technology and chief development officer, said the state’s effort has had no bearing on its work with New York City.
“We have been focused on making the city successful,” he said.
Hambidge said New York City is a showcase for the company that will hopefully spur business in other cities interested in building similar networks.
The network for New York City is comprised of 400 cell sites that provide coverage to the city’s five burrows and more than 90% of the city’s major roadways.
Hambidge said that balancing a public network with a business model is a challenge.
“What we have focused on is an economic model that works for the government sector and cities of all sizes,” he said.
Applications for various segments of the city’s public-safety and transportation department are being layered into the network, Hambidge said.
Other cities have not been successful in deploying municipal networks and the federal government is also interested in building a shared public-safety/commercial wireless network at 700 MHz.
The Public Safety Spectrum Trust Corp. is asking President Barack Obama to include $15 billion for the project in his proposed stimulus package.
The 700 MHz D-Block re-auction is one of many issues facing the new Federal Communications Commission chairman.
As New York City continues to evolve its network, the state Office for Technology is researching and developing contingency plans to move forward without M/A-COM, which is a business unit of Tyco Electronics.
State officials notified M/A-COM the contract would be canceled Jan. 15.
“We are extremely disappointed M/A-COM has failed to demonstrate the reliability of their OpenSky technology, especially its network and subscriber radios, which are the core of the system,” Melodie Mayberry-Stewart, chief information officer and director of the New York State Office for Technology, said in a statement. “Per the terms of the contract we have given M/A-COM every opportunity to remediate existing deficiencies.
“However the state’s testing concluded M/A-COM is unable to deliver a system that meets the needs of New York State’s first responders as stated in the contract.”
M/A-COM has issued a statement regarding the state’s decision, saying it has fulfilled the contract and delivered a state-of-the art network.
“We recognize that the state’s current priorities may no longer support the construction of a statewide network, and we have made several attempts to address this amicably with the state,” according to the statement. “M/A-COM will take all necessary steps to protect the company’s rights under the contract.”
New York officials claim that last August M/A-COM was sent a default letter stating the network was unacceptable for public-safety use. The state cited 19 areas of deficiencies. After testing the network last November, New York officials said M/A-COM failed to remediate 15 of the 19 deficiencies identified.
New York officials said that the state has spent $54 million in project operating expenses.
When the contract was awarded, M/A-COM said it would build the state’s network based on the company’s VIDA network platform, a “systems of systems” approach built on unified Internet Protocol architecture. VIDA utilizes the company’s OpenSky solution, which the company claims provides 700/800 MHz integrated voice and data, four times the capacity per frequency, and in-building coverage through the use of mobile systems.
