New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu said he wants to opt-out of the FirstNet nationwide mobile broadband first responder network. If that happens, New Hampshire would be the first state to take that action. New Hampshire has a contract offer from FirstNet-AT&T rival, Rivada Networks to build the state’s Radio Access Network.
“New Hampshire’s Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee determined from a technical standpoint that an opt-out of FirstNet is far and away our best option, as evidenced by their unanimous 15-0 vote,” Sununu said, reported New Hampshire Business Journal. “If we successfully navigate the opt-out path, New Hampshire will retain a level of control that it would not have enjoyed in an opt-in scenario.”
States have until December 28 to decide whether to opt-in to FirstNet or not. But the decision may not be final; the Executive Council votes in January on whether to execute a 25-year contract with Rivada. New Hampshire Business Review reports several councilors feel the Governor’s Office has left them in the dark about the process.
“It makes no sense for him to head down one path and then have us refuse to approve what he’s done,” said Executive Councilor Andru Volinksy, Concord. Similarly, Executive Councilor Joe Kenney, D-Wakefield, was among the group of councilors who voted in 2016 to give Rivada the rights to build the contract if the state decides to opt-out. That was before AT&T was awarded the FirstNet contract. Kenney is also skeptical of Rivada’s ability to do the work. He stated Thursday he’s “concerned with the Governor’s decision” to opt-out of AT&T/FirstNet and instead go with Rivada, “an inexperienced startup that has never built a wireless network before.”
Volinsky and Kenney also point to the up to $600 million in penalties the state risks if it’s RAN is not interoperable with FirstNet and/or fails and needs to be re-built. Sununu said in a prepared statement, it’s clear from the FirstNet Opt-Out Review Committee report that, “while an opt-out decision comes with regulatory and financial risks, those risks can be mitigated through the safeguards and contractual provisions the committee has recommended.”
In a statement to Urgent Communications, FirstNet said: “With New Hampshire’s announcement to opt-out and deploy their state RAN, FirstNet looks forward to continuing to work with the state following the successful completion of the opt-out process to deliver an interoperable, nationwide network to public safety.”
AT&T, meanwhile, hopes New Hampshire will change its mind. In a statement to Inside Towers, AT&T SVP-FirstNet Chris Sambar noted that “all” of the 33 states and two territories that have chosen to opt-in reflect “their belief that it is the best option for the public safety community and the residents they serve. We remain hopeful New Hampshire will continue to assess the substantial risks associated with an opt-out proposal of an unproven vendor.”
Several steps remain to be completed for the opt-out process. Rivada needs to give New Hampshire a detailed RAN plan. Both the FCC and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration have to approve it. Following federal regulatory approval, then New Hampshire would need to reach a spectrum-lease deal with FirstNet.
December 11, 2017
Reader Interactions