FirstNet – A Monkey, A Banana, and A Gun

Back in 2015, during one of the early FirstNet hearings on Capitol Hill, the Chair of FirstNet, Sue Swenson, briefed our nation’s elected officials on FirstNet, its progress, and the direction it was heading. With the confidence of a seasoned corporate telecommunications executive, she spoke about the many successes and how the network was going to get built. At one point, she was asked if they were going to reach their 2022 deployment goal. In her ever-present calm demeanor, she looked up at the dais and said, “Yes. If we don’t, I mean, we should be shot,” which clearly caused an awkward pause (and laughter), as the straightforward answer surprised many who were used to hedged responses like, “I think we can,” or “we will do our best.” Well, history has shown that she and the FirstNet Board got it done and indeed met all their 2022 goals.

What people don’t understand about those who have served—and are serving—on the FirstNet Board of Directors (or Board) is that they are some of the best corporate executives and public safety leaders who are accustomed to accountability and who have reached their positions because of their professional success. That was true when Sue Swenson was Chair, and it is true today with Sheriff Mike Adkinson at the helm.

Now, I think we must acknowledge that the process has not been perfect, and within the day-to-day government process certain boxes didn’t get checked. But what did happen were thousands of successes by the Board and the staff. Let me list a few that I believe are significant and outweigh the issues being discussed today on Capitol Hill.

• They developed and issued a fair and competitive RFP for construction of the network—a RFP that withstood a legal challenge in federal court.
• They assembled a team of some of the best managers and staff in the federal government to run the program.
• They were required to present their plan for the network to every state and territory, each of which had the ability to “opt out” of the FirstNet program. Every governor chose to support and join FirstNet. When was the last time every governor agreed on the same thing?
• They had the network operational within 6 years.
• All of this resulted in the largest successful public-private partnership in history.
• Over 7 million connections and in excess of 30,000 agencies are connected to the FirstNet network, with proven priority and preemption.

One of the other things that many people don’t understand is that every Board member does not accept failure. If they did, they wouldn’t be where they are today. As for the public safety members, here is what many don’t realize: at their core, they don’t quit, because in their day-to-day lives as first responders, when they quit, people die. Every call they ever went on required a successful outcome. These Board members understand accountability and live with it every day. The private-sector Board members are accountable to shareholders and investors in their daily work. The public safety executives are accountable every day to the citizens of their communities.

Folks inside NTIA use hyperbolic terms like, “we know what’s best for public safety.” I’m sorry—they don’t. Full stop. They have never risked their lives by standing between a suspect with a gun and an innocent citizen. They have never built a mission-critical communications network. They have never run into a burning building to save occupants. They have never tried to free someone from a burning car about to explode. And they have never put their hands on a person to stop the bleeding. Don’t get me wrong—they are good people and experienced bureaucrats—but they do not know what first responders need.

Public safety has universally stated that the FirstNet Authority must continue to operate as an independent authority. Those successes prove they can get it done—because they already have.

So, what about the monkey? 

The other thing Sue Swenson is famous for saying is, “If you’re going to put the monkey on our back, you’ve got to give us the bananas to feed it or the gun to shoot it.” Great advice because in the early days of the FirstNet Authority they got it done right. What has changed is the encroachment on the process by NTIA. Over the last several years NTIA has inappropriately inserted itself into the process. I distinctly recall a conversation years ago with a former NTIA administrator when I asked him why they weren’t following the law. I was told point blank “we (meaning NITA) get to decide what the law means and how to apply it.” I was shocked and astonished since I clearly understood the intent. 

The Ask.

To our Members of Congress: Support your first responders by giving the FirstNet Board the authority they need to continue the FirstNet Program—a program that first responders in your hometown depend on. Also, let’s say thank you to all those who work within the FirstNet program, and to those who are serving—or have served—on the FirstNet Board. They have earned our trust and our thanks.