LTE Procurement: It's not pretty.

Just like most public safety communications projects, LTE networks are proving difficult for entities to procure.  The challenges are greater with LTE projects because they blaze the trail of broadband- these networks are the first of their kind for public safety.
The obstacles can usually be divided up into two categories:  spectrum and funding.

The FCC granted 700 MHz waivers to 21 governmental agencies last May, so the spectrum is available- and becoming more accessible to agencies.  The funding is also available, with a few of the agencies accessing grants associated with the economic-stimulus package. 

Although the procurement process is expected to take some time, negotiations with vendors have been moving like molasses or not at all.  Only one of the agencies that were granted waivers, Adams County, Colorado, has reached an agreement with a vendor and began the installation process. 

The BayWeb project in San Francisco, Cal. has had its fair share of complications, and they are not alone.  In fact, the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) decided last week to restart its bidding process for its massive P25 and LTE project, after attorneys deemed that the long procurement process did not meet state guidelines.  This news may be disheartening to those who once called LA-RICS the model for all future public safety LTE projects. 

Some say the state buckled under the possibility of legal action from Motorola, who has been outspoken about perceived flaws the LA-RICS procurement process.  Internal attorneys at the state seem to have folded under the pressure, and decided that the process was indeed flawed.  Raytheon, chosen by LA-RICS to work on the project, has been wondering where these voices have been for the past three years they have been working on the project. 

Now, not only does the agency have to go back to the drawing board, but they must return to Washington seeking a waiver for an extension on its $154 million of grant funding (something the federal government has never granted to public safety broadband projects to date).

Public safety entities are already tightening their belts under economic pressure, and they don't have the time for wasted money and resources.  We are living in an age of innovation, and forward motion is necessary to manifest the amazing technology that has come from our generation. 

Our public safety agencies should not be spending their time arguing with lawyers, stumbling over bureaucracy, and battling with politics.  They have a much more important task at hand:  protecting the public.

If your agency has faced negotiation or funding issues, contact EMR Consulting today to gain an ally and powerful tool to help your communications system see success.  We are here to help.