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Hurricane Prep Probed

House Homeland Security Subcommittee Examines FirstNet's Future, T-Band Issues

A Thursday House Homeland Security Communications Subcommittee hearing focused on FirstNet's viability, though committee leaders also renewed their concerns about the effects of public safety agencies' mandated migration off the 470-512 MHz T-band. The 2012 spectrum law mandates that public safety agencies move off the band by 2021. Lawmakers also pressed officials on how emergency communications networks withstood hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

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FirstNet faces “a great number of unknowns and challenges ... about how the network will develop and whether it will be actually sustainable over time,” despite recent progress, testified GAO Director-Physical Infrastructure Issues Mark Goldstein. The ability to be self-supporting, as designed, “depends on who actually subscribes” and competitors like Verizon, Goldstein said: "That's not to say that FirstNet isn't doing sort of everything it can.” Goldstein echoed findings GAO released in July before a Senate Communications Subcommittee hearing (see 1707200042).

Director-Government Affairs Ed Parkinson trumpeted the network's achievements, noting it received opt-in backing from 27 states and territories, with Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) announcing his move to join Wednesday. The request for proposal model “that we were able to put forward shifted the risk away from the federal government and onto AT&T,” Parkinson said.

Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., asked how any state that opts out and develops its own system will function “if there's some sort of cross-state crisis.” States opting out are mandated to ensure their systems are interoperable with the national network, including via negotiated spectrum leases so there aren't “islands of no service, states of no service,” Parkinson said.

Chairman Don Donovan, R-N.Y., raised concerns about public safety agencies' migration off the T-band since agencies in New York City and several other major metropolitan areas are largely dependent on that spectrum. Migration will have a “significant impact” on affected cities' first responders “and studies have suggested that there isn't sufficient alternative spectrum for these jurisdictions to use,” Donovan said. “We must ensure we’re not taking steps back for mission critical voice networks.” Ronald Hewitt, Department of Homeland Security National Protection and Programs Directorate Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) director, said his office is aware of the spectrum crunch and is working with the FCC.

Ranking member Donald Payne, D-N.J., focused in part on how emergency communications infrastructure performed amid recent hurricanes. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and DHS' National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center were able to successfully pre-position backup communications apparatus in areas affected by Harvey and Irma so they could quickly “resurrect” connectivity there, Hewitt said. It was “impossible” to make similar preparations in Puerto Rico and other areas affected by Maria because the geography made equipment deployments “very difficult,” he said. OEC is trying to determine how well emergency communications networks functioned during the hurricanes, Hewitt said in response to a question from Donovan.