Verizon to take on AT&T with dedicated network for first responders | FierceWireless
Taxpayers aren’t paying for this, which is directly in relation to FirstNet. Additionally, on the local level, governments can expect pricing to be extremely competitive with regards to amazing increases in service. Imagine how hard it is to get any data throughput during an IU or Notre Dame football game. Now with FirstNet responders can see priority over regular users on the system when they need to have the data pushed out most. So much police and EMS work is done on mobile computers now. Much more than anyone here probably realizes.
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If not taxpayers, then who? Verizon, AT&T, or whatever carrier isn't going to do it out of the goodness of their hearts. These companies are in business to turn a profit and they are only doing this because they see a big payday down the road, with an ongoing revenue stream. Who will generate this revenue stream? Well, who is going to use FirstNet and/or whatever Verizon calls their alternative, or any other such Public Safety-oriented service that might be rolled out? Not John Q Public. It will be utilized by Public Safety agencies. So just ask yourself, who funds Public Safety?
All of these projects are taxpayer-funded, regardless of how the origin of the funds may be obfuscated.
It's just like when the local commissioners say that this or that road/bridge/whatever project won't cost the county but a small amount because "The Federal Government is picking up 80% of the tab." Where do you suppose did the feds get the money?:roll:
We the taxpayers ultimately pay for
everything done by government, at whatever level.
And I am aware of how much PS business is transacted over MDT, even though my agency doesn't have them. But when I hear a LEO call in for a tag or license to be run, it usually isn't because of bandwidth shortage, the reason given is almost always because (a.) the MDT is locked up and they don't want to wait for it to reboot, or (b.) because their air card isn't getting a signal. Whether the various iterations of FirstNet will solve that coverage problem or not we'll just have to wait and see...I seriously doubt that it will solve issues related to Windows getting confused or locking up due to road shock.