By Amanda Hilliard, FirstNet Director of Outreach

Last week, FirstNet held its semi-annual Spring in-person meeting for state and territory Single Points of Contact (SPOCs) in McLean, Virginia.  The two-day meeting allows the FirstNet SPOCs and their teams from across the country to come together to ask questions, provide input, receive feedback, and learn from each other, while also interfacing with FirstNet leadership and staff.

The turnout for this year’s Spring meeting was outstanding, with more than 175 representatives from 55 states and territories along with Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) Executive Committee and Tribal Working Group members and federal agency representatives. Thank you to those who were able to participate in the meeting – your engagement was invaluable.

As we discussed at the outset, a lot has happened since the last SPOC meeting in October 2015: FirstNet released its request for proposal (RFP), answered more than 400 questions to that RFP, received multiple capability statements from potential offerors, and launched its 2016 consultation and outreach efforts. The SPOCs had a critical role in getting us to this point by participating in FirstNet’s consultation and outreach activities and submitting data on the needs of public safety in their states and territories.

All of this set the table for robust dialogue during the two-day meeting about the key next steps with the RFP and the process around State Plans development and delivery. With FirstNet now moving into the implementation phase, this year’s Spring SPOC meeting focused extensively on how SPOCs can and should be preparing their states/territories for State Plans and key decisions around the deployment of the FirstNet network.

State Plans

State Plan development really started with the Initial Consultations that began in the fall of 2014 and continued with the data collection submissions that were due September 30, 2015.  Some states and territories continue to collect additional data. As such, FirstNet discussed with the SPOCs last week how their states/territories can submit new or updated data prior to September 30, 2016. That data can further prepare States, as well as FirstNet and our eventual network partner, as we prepare for State Plan delivery. Further guidance will be released soon.

FirstNet also discussed how the draft State Plans process will work going forward, with the drafts available for a confined review period in order to control costs and prevent delays. FirstNet is planning to present the State Plan Drafts to each state and territory in concert with our industry partner. During break-out discussions on State Plans, we spent a lot of time talking with the SPOCs about the State Plan Draft Reviews and the importance of controlling variance to the plans to maintain the economics of the FirstNet partnership and the nationwide deployment goals.

Once the State Plans are finalized, FirstNet expects to deliver all 56 plans simultaneously to each Governor through an online State Plan portal. This will begin the 90‐day review and decision period as specified in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.

FirstNet also discussed the high-level vision of a State Plan portal.  It is envisioned that one area of the portal will be used to unveil our future product and service offerings (coverage, devices, applications, etc.) for all public safety agencies to see.  Another area of the portal is expected to include some sensitive information that will likely require controlled access to manage the proper dissemination and protection of the information.  As a result, 2016 Consultation efforts will provide key planning opportunities to discuss how this information is best controlled and disseminated to appropriate stakeholders. 

Discussion also focused on the key factors a State must consider if the Governor chooses to accept the responsibility to deploy the state Radio Access Network (RAN) portion of the network (“opt out”). This decision includes accepting the associated costs and risks for the ongoing deployment, operation, maintenance, and improvement of the RAN within the State, which must be maintained in accordance with FirstNet’s network policies. 

Further, we talked in detail about the impact on the overall economics, sustainability, and interoperability of the nationwide network if certain states elect to opt-out and deploy their own RAN. FirstNet staff stressed that should a state or territory decide to opt out and develop a successful alternative plan consistent with the interoperability requirements and network policies for the nationwide network, FirstNet is committed to supporting that State’s success to ensure the success of the network as a whole.

In addition, FirstNet explained that, under the Act and FirstNet’s Final Interpretations, in the event that a Governor does not make any decision within the 90-day statutory period, FirstNet will move forward with implementing the RAN deployment that State.

In these sessions, we strongly encouraged SPOCs to start preparing for this decision today by getting the right people involved across the state or territory and by raising any questions or issues now.  It is important that a Governor know about FirstNet and be prepared for a decision before the final plan is delivered.

Consultation Task Teams

Another opportunity for SPOCs and interested stakeholders to participate in Consultation in 2016 is through the Consultation Task Teams (CTT).  FirstNet is seeking to establish these task teams with the states and territories to discuss and engage on critical factors that need to be considered in network planning and implementation, such as quality of service, priority, and preemption (QPP).

During the SPOC meeting, states and territories weighed in on the proposed QPP CTT and helped to fine-tune the concept. There was also robust dialogue around issues of local control. FirstNet staff showcased the delivery model that will be used to kick off the QPP CTTs via 10 inter-state regional engagements, with up to five CTT members participating from each state or territory.  More information on the QPP CTT and regional engagement sessions will be available soon, including a white paper, video, and options for holding a webinar or in-person meeting.

Preparing for FirstNet in Your State

We covered many additional topics at the SPOC meeting, including tribal outreach, the FirstNet RFP, and technical aspects like mission critical push-to-talk and other applications.  Throughout the meeting, the trust and collaboration between the SPOCs and FirstNet that has been built over the last few years really showed through. The dialogue was very open and honest, which is vital to the success of a nationwide network for public safety.

In the end, each of the discussions served to underscore one thing – FirstNet’s moving into the implementation phase.  The FirstNet network is gaining momentum, and the SPOCs must prepare their states and territories accordingly.  As FirstNet CEO Mike Poth said in his opening remarks, public safety is counting on us.

For more information on how you or your organization can participate in the deployment of FirstNet, visit our consultation page at FirstNet.gov.

Thanks,
Amanda