The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is suspending the funding for the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System’s LTE project that utilizes 700 Mhz Band 14 spectrum, one of five pilot projects across the country that are aimed at providing a foundation for the First Responder Network Authority national public safety LTE network, also known as FirstNet.
The decision comes in the wake of two local jurisdiction actions in Los Angeles to halt construction of the L.A. RICS network. A dozen L.A. city council members voted to stop build-out of the LTE project early last week, following a recent vote by the Los Angeles County board of supervisors to stop construction of LTE sites at county fire stations.
NTIA issued the following statement: “Given the Los Angeles City and County votes in the last week to halt construction on portions of the LA-RICS public safety project, it is now clear that LA-RICS faces substantial challenges in fulfilling the project’s goals by the statutory deadline of Sept. 30. NTIA is today suspending further construction and has directed LA-RICS to submit an amended project plan by April 13 that is acceptable to the city council, the county board of supervisors and NTIA, acting in consultation with FirstNet.”
NTIA provided the initial $154.6 million Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grant to LA-RICS. An NTIA spokeswoman said that the agency has drawn down $31 million so far. BTOP funding for the LTE pilot projects is separate from the $7 billion allocated to FirstNet for the construction, operation and maintenance of the national public safety broadband network, which is still in the early planning phases – but the BTOP projects closely coordinate with FirstNet representatives and are serving as testing grounds for various aspects of that future network. The BTOP money must be spent by Sept. 30, which is the ending date for the BTOP funding; it would require an act of Congress to change that deadline, according to NTIA spokeswoman Juliana Gruenwald.
“LA-RICS will have to bear the full costs of any required work not completed by this date,” noted the city council motion that was approved this week. “The city share of … costs could be up to 40%, depending on the participation of other jurisdictions. These cost uncertainties, coupled with continued withdrawals of other jurisdictions from the LA-RICS [joint powers authority], delays in construction and concerns by end users at proposed LTE sites make it necessary to immediately halt the construction of the LTE system.”
Urgent Communications has reported that local officials plan to seek help to extend the deadline from federal lawmakers – but that trip isn’t expected to take place until the week of April 20.
LA-RICS is in charge of supporting both an interoperable land mobile radio network for its member jurisdictions as well as the LTE project for FirstNet; council members want governance of the two networks separated so that jurisdictions can participate in either the LMR or LTE networks, or both. LA-RICS’ LTE work has been delayed in part by concerns of the local firefighters’ union about potential radio frequency exposure from LTE sites built at public safety facilities; the Local 1014 website refers to LTE sites as “toxic towers.”
Southern California Public Radio noted that only 14 of the planned 177 new cellular towers have been built, which were supposed to be located on top of fire stations and at other locations, as well as the upgrading of 62 existing sites.
With insufficient local support for project construction that has to be completed on that tight deadline, NTIA is suspending the funding and giving LA-RICS a chance to submit an amended LTE network plan, one that hopefully would have support from city and county officials.
“Our hope is that the project will be able to move forward and provide first responders in L.A. with the wireless broadband network that will help them do their jobs more efficiently and effectively,” said Gruenwald.
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