Florida issues RFI for FirstNet
Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles recently released a request for information for the state’s FirstNet project.
According to the RFI, the goal is to gather information and help the state effectively plan for the deployment of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network, better known as FirstNet, within the state’s borders.
The state’s system will be required to “support fully interoperable, mission-critical, 700 MHz LTE wireless broadband data communication for all public safety agencies throughout the state of Florida and those that may respond from outside of the state to assist during times of crisis.”
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration released numerous RFIs for FirstNet technologies in July 2013, and it now appears states are following its footsteps.
Florida consists of 67 counties with a total population exceeding 19 million. All told, there are thousands of public safety and critical infrastructure agencies that will be using the network.
FirstNet will provide emergency responders with the first nationwide, high-speed network dedicated to public safety.
The broadband data network fulfills a fundamental need of the public safety community and a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission. Creating FirstNet will require an unprecedented level of public-private partnership, collaboration and shared commitment to the well being of all Americans.
Using a nationwide spectrum license, FirstNet will provide a single platform for daily public safety communications. When natural disasters, threats to the nation’s security or other emergencies occur anywhere in the country, FirstNet will enable local, state, regional and national emergency responders to communicate at the direction of the incident commander.
