FirstNet GM Says Public Safety Concerns Paramount as Network Is Built

D'Agostino was introduced by Public Safety Advisory Committee Chairman Harlin McEwen, also a member of NPSTC. One of Fitzgerald’s complaints was that the FirstNet board had done a poor job of consulting with PSAC, set up as an advisory group to the FirstNet board. D'Agostino, a former Verizon executive, said he has spoken with McEwen several times since he took over at FirstNet. “My first ask of you is that I need to hear your voices and continue to hear your voices,” D'Agostino said. “I don’t want anyone for even a moment to think that we're moving down a path that’s doing anything except what we believe is the only mission we have, which is to build this broadband network to public standards."

Building the network will be a big job, D'Agostino said. “For me and for the team that is around me, this is by far the biggest challenge we have ever faced.” The timing, coordination and “communication of what needs to be done here” will be among the biggest challenges facing FirstNet, he said. “The work that’s being done right now is positioning us to deliver what I think is a world class network, what I think is something that is going to carry us into the future.”

"Welcome and condolences,” said Terry Hall, president of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials. “One of the biggest challenges that I have is being able to build a network that, number one, is going to be attractive, that’s going to be robust and it’s going to be something the public safety needs and wants to be able to utilize. But that leads into I think the biggest issue that we have right now ... that we should eliminate as much as we can the opt-out category and there should be a lot of focus put on opting in.” If too many local governments opt out, “it’s going to drive the costs up,” he said.

"I agree with you,” D'Agostino replied. “The whole opt-out process in my mind is a last stance position that a state should take in the event that we can’t deliver a product that brings them to a comfort level that’s going to take them where they need to be. I think that there’s a lot of people that want to opt out for a lot of reasons. There’s a lot of people who would like to see FirstNet fail, let’s be real honest about it, right? But I think there’s more people and there’s more leverage on the side that says ‘This is the right thing to do.'"

Chris Lewis, representing the Department of Interior on NPSTC, said interoperability is critical for his department. “We as a department and as one of the primary first responders in the United States ... do not feel involved with the public safety broadband network,” Lewis said. “I'd like to get the feds involved.” That “sounds great, I don’t see an issue with it,” D'Agostino replied. “This conversation is going to happen a hundred times over as we move forward, because there are a lot of key stakeholders out there that we haven’t touched yet, and we know that.”

Lance Valcour, representing the Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group on NPSTC, warned that border issues will be complicated. Canada is moving forward on its own first responder network, though following a slightly different model, Valcour said. “Connecting these two systems will be very complex from a technical perspective,” he said. “As Canadian and American responders cross that national border every day, the true challenges will not necessarily be technical, they'll be policy driven, and we really need to work closely with you.”

FCC Public Safety Bureau Chief David Turetsky said the move to next-generation 911 will take time, but “we save lives by addressing text messaging in the short term.” The four national major wireless carriers have agreed to make their networks capable of transmitting emergency texts to 911 call centers by next May, he said. FirstNet is part of the equation, since once it is up and running, emergency texts can be forwarded to first responders in the field, he said. “These networks are complementary,” he said. “When a 911 call center receives video of an accident from a witness, the call taker can send it to the response personnel quickly and seamlessly.”

The few text-to-911 trials have shown how important that capability is, Turetsky said. “Even though it’s only been deployed on a limited basis so far, it has prevented harm and saved lives,” he said. “Text-to-911 is not limited to use in densely populated areas, it makes people safer in all of America.” The FCC has no intentions of requiring public safety answering points to be able to accept emergency texts, he said. “That is a decision that properly is left to states and the PSAPs themselves. However, I encourage that public safety can capitalize on these significant ... opportunities.”

McEwen pressed Turetsky on the future of the T-band, used by public safety in 11 major metropolitan areas, which public safety must eventually leave as a requirement of last year’s spectrum law. A March report by NPSTC estimated that the overall cost of moving from the T-band could be more than $6 billion (CD March 30 p6). “We did submit comments and we did submit our extensive report,” McEwen said. “That report should give you almost all the information you need.” Congress needs to examine that decision, he said.

McEwen noted the role the T-band played in Boston following the Boston Marathon bombings. “All of the people that were involved in the successful investigation and dealing with the emergency of the people who were injured ... used the T-band,” he said. “There isn’t any spectrum to really replace that in the Boston area, number one. Number two, they have used that and developed interoperability plans [in the T-band] and have trained to it."

Comments were due at the FCC Monday on a Wireless Bureau public notice on implementing provisions in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, which required the FCC to clear the T-band of public safety users within nine years. NPSTC’s comments asked the FCC to lift a freeze on new licenses or modifications to existing licenses that would expand the spectrum or geographic footprint. “This freeze negatively impacts public safety entities and the degree of impact is likely to grow as time goes on and users need to keep their communications systems up to date to meet operational needs,” NPSTC said (http://bit.ly/YHzpYL). “Given the lack of alternative spectrum, cost of relocation, major disruption to vital public safety services, and likelihood that the spectrum auction would not even cover relocation costs, NPSTC believes implementing the T-Band legislation is not feasible, provides no public interest benefit, and the matter should be re-visited by Congress.”

The FCC is examining the issue closely, Turetsky said. “We hear from a number of cities and we are really anxious to build a thorough record and the report from NPSTC is just first rate.”