Joe Euteneuer, who left Sprint last August, was named co-CEO and CFO at Rivada Networks, which is looking to bid in the FirstNet program
Longtime Sprint executive Joe Euteneuer has turned up at Rivada Networks, which is looking to provide broadband services to the public safety and commercial organizations.
Euteneuer left his position as CFO at Sprint last August amidst numerous management changes at the beleaguered carrier, replaced by current CFO Tarek Robiaiti. Euteneuer assumed the CFO position at Sprint in 2011, replacing Bob Burst, and coming over from Qwest Communications.
Euteneuer was named co-CEO and CFO Americas at Rivada, where he is set to work alongside executive chairman and co-CEO Declan Ganley, as the company looks to create a wholesale focused wireless provider as part of the current First Responder Network Authority process. Rivada said it’s bidding to build out the FirstNet network, which recently extended the deadline for responses to its call for bids for a national public safety LTE network until May 31.
Rivada said its push will be behind its dynamic spectrum arbitrage tiered priority access technology, which it claims ensures priority network access for public safety agencies over commercial wireless services provided by FirstNet’s planned network partners.
“By allowing businesses to access wholesale bandwidth through both long-term agreements and open market transactions, Rivada is enabling the advancement of [the ‘Internet of Things’] and other innovations while creating new opportunities for institutional investors,” the company noted.
Brian Carney, SVP for corporate communications at Rivada Networks, outlined the company’s plans at the recent Dynamic Spectrum Summit.
FirstNet is required by law to be self-sustaining and has made clear any secondary use of its spectrum – on which its financial success rests – must enable “ruthless preemption” across its 20 megahertz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band, which Rivada also touts. Among established wireless carriers, AT&T Mobility has expressed interest in partnering with FirstNet and its $6.5 billion in funding, while Verizon Wireless has been more guarded in its interest. T-Mobile US has stated it can’t see how a partnership would work for the carrier, while Sprint is not expected to participate in the FirstNet program.
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