[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 193 (Thursday, October 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60680-60681]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-24469]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
[Docket No. 120928505-2505-01]
RIN 0660-XC002
Development of the Nationwide Interoperable Public Safety
Broadband Network
AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of inquiry.
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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA) issues this Notice of Inquiry (NOI) on behalf of the First
Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) to seek public comment on the
conceptual network architecture presentation made at the FirstNet Board
of Directors' meeting held on September 25, 2012, as well as to invite
input on other network design and business plan considerations. NTIA
also seeks comment on the general concept of how to develop
applications for public safety users as discussed at the FirstNet Board
meeting. FirstNet intends to use the input received from this process
to shape its efforts to establish the interoperable public safety
broadband network based on a single, nationwide network architecture
called for under the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of
2012 (Act).\1\
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\1\ Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, Public
Law 112-96, 126 Stat. 156 (2012) (Act).
DATES: Comments must be received no later than November 1, 2012 at 5:00
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p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted by email to
[email protected]. Written comments also may be submitted by
mail to: National Telecommunications and Information Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., HCHB Room
7324, Attn: FirstNet NOI, Washington, DC 20230. Please note that all
material sent via the U.S. Postal Service (including ``Overnight'' or
``Express Mail'') is subject to delivery delays of up to two weeks due
to mail security procedures. Responders should include the name of the
person or organization filing the comment, as well as a page number, on
each page of their submissions. Paper submissions should also include a
CD or DVD with an electronic version of the document, which should be
labeled with the name
[[Page 60681]]
and organizational affiliation of the filer. Do not submit Confidential
Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.
All email messages and comments received are a part of the public
record and will generally be posted without change to the NTIA Web site
at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/federal-register-notice/2012/comments-nationwide-interoperable-public-safety-broadband-network-noi. All
personal identifying information (e.g., name, address) voluntarily
submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Comments should
not exceed 25 double-spaced pages.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Uzoma Onyeije, Senior Advisor for
Public Safety, National Telecommunications and Information
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue
NW., Room 7324, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-0016; email:
[email protected]. Please direct media inquiries to NTIA's Office
of Public Affairs, (202) 482-7002.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 created
the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) as an independent
authority within NTIA and authorized it to take all actions necessary
to ensure the building, deployment, and operation of a nationwide
public safety broadband network (PSBN) based on a single, national
network architecture.\2\ FirstNet is responsible for, at a minimum,
ensuring nationwide standards for use and access of the network;
issuing open, transparent, and competitive requests for proposals
(RFPs) to build, operate, and maintain the network; leveraging, to the
maximum extent economically desirable, existing commercial wireless
infrastructure to speed deployment of the network; and overseeing
contracts with non-federal entities to build, operate, and maintain the
network.\3\
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\2\ 47 U.S.C. 1422(b).
\3\ 47 U.S.C. 1426(b)(1).
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FirstNet is headed by a Board of Directors (Board) with 15 voting
members.\4\ The FirstNet Board held its first public meeting on
September 25, 2012, during which it took action on several
organizational and administrative items, including approving
resolutions to adopt its bylaws, create a State, Regional, Local, and
Tribal Consultation Committee, and request the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) transfer the public safety spectrum license to
FirstNet. FirstNet Board member Craig Farrill shared a presentation
outlining a possible framework for designing the public safety network
architecture in a manner that leverages existing resources and
infrastructure, as is contemplated in the Act. Specifically, the
FirstNet Nationwide Network (FNN) concept would leverage the
significant investments and combined efforts of the public sector and
the commercial wireless industry to achieve the major elements of the
nationwide wireless network called for under the Act, including
ubiquitous coverage, reliable, redundant, and interoperable service, at
reduced costs and with accelerated availability. The presentation of
the FNN concept is available for review on NTIA's Web site at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/firstnet_fnn_presentation_09-25-2012_final.pdf.
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\4\ 47 U.S.C. 1424.
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FirstNet Board Chairman Sam Ginn also discussed a general concept
for developing applications designed specifically for public safety
users. Under this general concept, FirstNet would seek to understand
what applications federal, state, local, and tribal public safety users
would like to see developed. FirstNet would define interface and
certification requirements for FirstNet applications, and would call on
innovators to develop applications for public safety to use to do its
job better and more safely. The public safety community could download
these applications, thus enabling public safety users nationwide to
benefit from individual innovations.
These conceptual presentations mark a starting point for further
discussions.
Request for Comments
On behalf of the FirstNet Board, NTIA requests public comments on
the FNN conceptual network design model presented at the FirstNet Board
meeting. NTIA also solicits input from interested stakeholders on other
options that the FirstNet Board should consider in meeting the Act's
requirements to deploy the PSBN based on a single, nationwide network
architecture that evolves with technological advancements. FirstNet is
particularly interested in receiving innovative ideas on how it can
deploy a reliable, ubiquitous, redundant, and interoperable broadband
network for public safety users. NTIA invites the submission of
proposals that address the following criteria:
1. Meets public safety's requirements for priority, quality of
service, and preemption features;
2. Uses, to the extent possible, existing radio access network and
core network infrastructure installed by commercial mobile operators in
order to maximize the coverage and performance delivered to public
safety while minimizing the capital expenditures;
3. Reaches operational capability as quickly as possible; and
4. Enables voice services (cellular telephony and push-to-talk
(PTT)) both within the FirstNet network as well as to/from other
commercial networks, including the public switched telephone network
(PSTN).
Any proposal submitted in response to this NOI should: (1) Describe
all of the assumptions necessary for the proposal to succeed; (2)
identify the specific opportunities or benefits the proposal provides
in meeting the Act's objectives and the criteria enumerated above; (3)
discuss any existing challenges or obstacles that must be overcome to
realize the proposal; and (4) specify any areas in need of further
research and development to ensure the success of the proposal.
NTIA also seeks input from all stakeholders on the FirstNet Board's
conceptual discussion of a potential framework for developing
applications for public safety use. Commenters should: (1) Provide
suggestions for applications that would benefit public safety users;
(2) address what interface requirements and other information
innovators need in order to develop applications in an open
environment; (3) address what specific security requirements public
safety needs in its applications; (4) provide ideas as to what
framework or organizational factors would allow for the development of
the greatest number of quality applications; (5) provide specific
suggestions for FirstNet's applications certification requirements; (6)
discuss possible delivery methods (e.g., app store models) under the
FNN conceptual architecture model presented at the FirstNet Board
meeting or based on any alternative network design models that
commenters propose; and (7) provide comment on any other issues that
FirstNet should consider in facilitating the development of public
safety applications.
Dated: September 28, 2012.
Lawrence E. Strickling,
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information.
[FR Doc. 2012-24469 Filed 10-3-12; 8:45 am]
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