FirstNet: A Year Later - Understanding the $7 Billion Opportunity...and Challenges
It's been a year since Congress created FirstNet, a federal authority within NTIA tasked with building a $7 billion nationwide wireless public safety broadband network. The 15-member FirstNet governing board has been appointed, and work is just underway to plan, design, develop, and ultimately construct the FirstNet network, with the hugely complex task of leveraging resources and facilities from state and local governments, wireless carriers, utilities, and others. NTIA has just announced a $121.5 million grant program, available to states and territories, working with local and tribal governments, to staff and implement state and local FirstNet planning and coordination activities, with applications due March 19. And while conceptual plans for network deployment and application development have been unveiled, according to board members, most of the key issues - deployment strategy, potential network partners, procurement approach, etc. - have yet to be determined.
Join Broadband US TV co-hosts Jim Baller and Marty Stern, and their guests for this special program on FirstNet, one year later, as we help unpack the FirstNet opportunity and challenges, for state and local governments, carriers, infrastructure owners and equipment manufacturers.
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Jim Baller Principal The Baller Herbst Law Group |
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Marty Stern Partner, K&L Gates |
GUESTS:
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Laura Pettus, Program Manager, NTIA Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grant Program |
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Dr. Andrew Afflerbach, CEO/Director of Engineering - CTC Technology & Energy |
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Jeff Cohen, Chief Counsel, Law and Policy, APCO International |
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Martha Duggan, Senior Principal, Regulatory Affairs, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association |
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Link Hoewing, VP, Internet and Technology Policy, Verizon (inv). |
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Michael Hardiman |